Area residents recount horror

For residents of Janta Colony’s Gali No. 5 in northeast Delhi’s Welcome area, Saturday morning began like any other until a deafening crash at 7 am shattered the calm.

“It was like the ground gave way,” said Govind, who lives in the building opposite the one that collapsed, killing six people, including a two-year-old girl. Govind, who also suffered injuries in the incident, said, “We’ve lived here for years. We never thought something like this would happen.”

“When the building collapsed, rubble hit ours too. I got injured while trying to help. Everyone rushed in before the authorities arrived. We just hoped people were alive under the debris,” said Anees Ahmad Ansari, another local resident.

Abdul Karim (68), who has been living in the colony since long, said: “We always knew the building was old. But no one thought it would fall like this. It is scary. People here are afraid to sleep tonight.”

By evening, the lane remained blocked off. For many in the tightly packed neighbourhood, grief mingled with lingering fear. “A family of 10 lived there. Now, their home is just rubble,” Asma, another resident, said quietly.