Historic dargah falls silent after structure collapse claims 7 lives

The usual hustle and bustle around the national capital’s famed Dargah Shareef Patte Wali was missing on Saturday, a day after the wall and roof of the mosque collapsed, claiming six lives on Friday.

One more death was confirmed on Saturday with no prayers offered at the mosque, which lies en route Delhi’s must-visit Sunder Nursery and shares a wall with the historic 16th century Humayun’s Tomb, a UNESCO world heritage site and an Archaeological Survey of India protected monument.

The incident took place just after devotees offered Friday prayers (Jumma). They were cloistered in the mosque, unaware of the tragedy in waiting.

Locals told this correspondent on Saturday that several more may have died had the portion of the roof collapsed just a few hours earlier during the Jumma namaz. Some said over 30 rooms inside the shrine were in a dilapidated state and permissions for repair were hard to get as the mosque shared the wall with an ASI protected site.

“The dargah was full of devotees just a few hours before the incident. Some had returned to take shelter because of rain,” said Shyam, a snack seller near the tomb.

A ground visit by The Tribune showed heavy police barricading around the mosque with a yellow strip reading ‘police line, do not cross’ greeting the eye alongside mounds of debris.

Himanshu, a guard at Sunder Nursery who was on duty on the fateful day, said: “We did not know what happened until we saw ambulances and police vehicles rushing in. We were told by people coming out that a roof, where some people had taken shelter in the rain, had collapsed.”

According to the police, the incident occurred at 3:55 pm. An FIR has been registered against ‘unidentified’ persons at the Hazrat Nizamuddin police station with the cops clueless over the cause of the collapse.

For devotees, who visit the shrine regularly to offer prayers, the grief is deep and personal with many losing their friends and acquaintances.

Meanwhile, the police say an FIR against unidentified persons has been registered under Sections 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings), 125 (acts that endanger human life or personal safety) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the BNS.

Dargah Patte Shah holds an historical significance and is dedicated to famous Sufi Saint Makhdoom Shah Patte, who was often referred to as Patte Shah. Devotees from all religions visit the shrine in his memory.

The word ‘Patta’ has been used repeatedly in his poems, due to which he earned the sobriquet.

Makhdoom Patte Shah’s sufi verses are mostly a salutation to the love of nature and spirituality. The saint died in 1695.

Mother-daughter duo among 7 dead

One more death was reported on Saturday in the wall and roof collapse at the mosque, raising the toll to seven. Four men and three women, including a mother and her daughter, died in the incident. Five persons were declared dead at the AIIMS Trauma Centre, while one each died at Safdarjung Hospital and Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital. Eleven persons were rescued from the spot. Nine were sent to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, while other two were sent to LNJP and RML hospitals.