Mustafabad building collapse: Pall of gloom descends as 11 victims laid to rest

Grief enveloped northeast Delhi’s Sarita Vihar on Sunday as residents came together to bid a final farewell to the 11 victims of a devastating house collapse in Mustafabad, including the building’s owner Tehsin and six members of his family.

The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday when a 20-year-old building came crashing down, killing 11 people and injuring several others. After post-mortem procedures, the bodies were handed over to the families on Sunday afternoon and later laid to rest at the New Mustafabad graveyard.

The deceased included Tehsin (60), his son Nazeem (30), daughters-in-law Shahina (28) and Chandni (23), and his three young grandchildren—Anas (6), Afreen (2) and Afan (2). The family had already endured a previous tragedy when Tehsin’s son Aas Mohammad was killed during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

Other victims of the building collapse included Danish (23) and Naved (17), both brothers, Reshma (38), and Ishaq (75), officials said.

Rescue operations, which lasted over 12 hours, were jointly carried out by teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services, local police and volunteers. The narrow lanes of the densely populated Mustafabad area posed significant challenges during the operation.

The authorities are now assessing structural damage to adjacent buildings. “Two nearby structures have sustained damage due to the collapse. We are conducting further inspections to determine their stability,” an official said.

A CCTV camera installed in a neighbouring building captured the moment of collapse, showing the structure suddenly giving way and a thick cloud of dust engulfing the narrow alley.

The police have registered a case under sections 290 (negligent conduct with respect to buildings), 106 (causing death by negligence), 125 and 125(a) (acts endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Although the building owner, Tehsin, died in the incident, legal proceedings have been initiated to ascertain overall responsibility.