‘I was barely 3 meters away’: Man recalls moment when building in Delhi's Rohini 'came crashing down'

AN under-construction edifice in Delhi's Rohini country collapsed on wed afternoon, leading to the demise of i person after at least eight people were trapped under the debris. Teams of the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Services and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) launched a rescue operation following the collapse amid incessant rainfall in the national capital, though the authorities did not confirm whether the collapse was caused by weather.The incident took place at 4.20 pm near an MCD school in Sector 16 of Rohini. Track live updates on Delhi, Gurgaon weatherSeventy-two-year old Rajbir Singh Badhana was meters away from the under-construction building that came crashing down and had a narrow escape. Not just the people in the building, some walking on the street were also trapped in the debris, according to Badhana. These included a mother-daughter duo on way to tuition classes, a mechanic riding his motorcycle, and a property dealer whose office is located directly opposite the building.Also read: After newlywed couple decorates 1st AC coupe, Railways suspends ticket checker, orders inquiry over 'serious lapse'“I was on my way to the salon to get a shave and was barely three metres away from the building when I suddenly saw debris falling. I immediately started stepping backwards,” said Badhana, who runs a property business about 100 metres from the collapsed building.“Earlier, it was a two-storey building, with Welcome Tent House operating on the ground floor. Reconstruction began more than a year ago. A four-and-a-half-storey building was under construction and was in the final phase of completion. The owners did not live there; they were staying in a rented accommodation nearby,” he added.Also read: Iran's ‘finger on the trigger’ response to Donald Trump's truce ‘over’ declarationCM says all relevant officials told to ensure every assistanceDelhi chief minister Rekha Gupta said that the situation in wake of the Rohini building collapse is being monitored and that rescue operations are on in full swing. “As soon as the information was received, Delhi Police, district administration, and relief and rescue teams immediately reached the spot. The rescue and evacuation operation is continuing with full promptness. The situation is being constantly monitored, and all relevant officials have been directed to ensure every necessary assistance,” she wrote in a post on X. The Delhi Fire Services said the four storey Delhi Development Authority (DDA) apartment building undergoing renovation work collapsed during renovation work. Two flats collapsed leading to 7 people being trapped, the fire services department said. By the time rescue teams arrived, locals had pulled out two survivors and shifted them to a hospital.The DDA said the area in Rohini where an under-construction building collapsed was denotified in 2016 and was handed over to the local body. Building activities in the denotified area is being looked after by them, the DDA said.