Fate deals cruel blow to family once again

The catastrophic building collapse in northeast Delhi’s Mustafabad in the early hours of Saturday has left the local community shattered, with several families losing multiple members in the blink of an eye.

Residents described the moment as nothing short of a nightmare. “It felt like an earthquake. The whole floor trembled beneath us, and within seconds, we were choking on dust,” said Ryan, a resident of Shiv Vihar whose home stands right next to the collapsed structure. “We thought something had slammed into our house. But when we looked outside, the building was just gone.”

Among the worst hit was the family of Tehseen. The tragedy comes just four years after they lost a son during the 2020 Delhi riots. This time, another son—Nazeem—perished in the collapse along with his wife Shahina and their three children. The family has now been torn apart twice—once by violence, now by concrete.

For others too, the grief is almost too heavy to carry. Sehjhad Ahmad lost his nephews Danish and Naved, both of whom lived on the third floor with their parents. “They were the pillars of our family, the ones we all leaned on. Now they’re gone,” he said. His sister and brother-in-law are battling for their lives in hospital.

Sonu Abbas lost his sister, who was living on the fourth floor with her family. “She was conscious when pulled out from the debris,” he said. “She made sure her husband and children were safe. Only then did she collapse. And that was it, she didn’t survive.”

Her children were injured, and her husband remains in critical condition.

Amid the sorrow, many residents expressed fears that this could happen again. “There are several buildings around here in equally bad shape,” said a local who did not wish to be named. “Sewage water has been leaking into the walls for years. The constant moisture has weakened the structures. Cracks are everywhere.”

Locals fear that unless authorities act now, Mustafabad’s tragedy may not be the last.