New Delhi, Aug 14 (PTI) A 50-year-old man died and his daughter suffered a pelvic fracture when a massive neem tree fell on vehicles crawling on an inundated road in Delhi’s Kalkaji on Thursday — a day when the city reported 26 tree falling incidents.
With this, rain-related incidents in the national capital have claimed nine innocent lives in a week, according to officials.
On August 9, seven people, including two minor girls, were killed when a wall collapsed near Mohan Baba Mandir in Jaitpur, while a two-year-old boy died after falling into an open sewer in Khera Khurd village amid heavy rain.
The Kalkaji incident was captured on CCTV where the huge tree, inches away from the footpath, can be seen uprooting from the road and falling on unaware commuters.
The tree fell on some vehicles, including a motorcycle on which Sudhir Kumar (50) and his daughter Priya (22), residents of Tughlaqabad, were riding, officials said.
A video from the spot showed the father-daughter duo trapped between the fallen tree and the bike as several people holding umbrellas gathered around and tried to rescue them.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said at approximately 9.50 am, an old neem tree suddenly fell in front of HDFC Bank near Paras Chowk, Kalkaji. As a result, two people riding a motorcycle, identified as Sudhir Kumar (50) and his daughter Priya (22), residents of Tughlaqabad, got trapped beneath the fallen tree, he said.
While the father succumbed to injuries, his daughter suffered a fracture in the right pelvic region. She is stable and recovering, the police said.
According to official data, Municipal Corporation of Delhi received 13 tree falling complaints, while 12 trees were uprooted in the PWD area and one fell in the NDMC area.
The father was the sole breadwinner of the family while his daughter had just begun contributing to the household income. Sudhir, a caretaker at a DUSIB night shelter in old Delhi near Turkman Gate, is survived by his wife and three children.
“Kumar lived with his wife Sunita and their three children in a rented flat. The eldest daughter, Shivani, is 25; Priya, the middle child, is 22; and the youngest, Mayank, is 17 and has just completed his Class 12,” one of Sudhir’s relatives said.
The family had migrated from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi around two decades ago, working hard to build a modest but stable life in the city.
“He had taken leave today. He was going first to purchase medicines for a cough and cold from ESI Hospital and then drop his daughter Priya to the sports training NGO where she works and earns 4,000 to 5,000,” said Arvind, Sudhir’s cousin, his voice tight with grief.
“They left together on the bike in the morning. None of us imagined it would be the last ride for Kumar.” The family was also in the process of planning Shivani’s wedding, fixed for February 2026.
“How all the happiness of the family members washed away with this rain. The family had just begun the wedding planning and was saving for it,” Arvind said.
A senior police officer said, “A PCR call regarding the incident was received at 10.37 am. A team promptly reached the spot and started the rescue operation and also informed other agencies.” However, due to rain they couldn’t reach us in time, so our police hired a private JCB and a crane and removed the tree, the officer said.
Sudhir and Priya were taken to Safdarjung hospital by 11.15 am where doctors declared the father dead. The daughter is undergoing treatment, the officer added.
A car was also damaged in the incident. Its owner, who was inside, did not sustain any injuries and was taken out safely.
Amit Chaturvedi, the car owner’s brother, told PTI, “I was in the office when I asked my brother if he left for the office. He informed me that a huge tree fell on his car while he was on his way to work. Fortunately, he has not sustained injuries.” Shivani Chauhan, a local, said, “The car owner is a resident of Kalkaji G block. Thankfully, nothing happened to him. This is a big negligence on the part of the government.” Virendra Kumar, an eyewitness, said that while the tree fell around 9 am, the police and other authorities came an hour later.
“The father died on the spot but the girl was trapped under the tree for more than an hour. This is the negligence of authorities that a crane couldn’t reach on time,” Kumar told PTI.
Meanwhile, the DCP said that the local police responded swiftly to the PCR call and the rescue operations were launched immediately.
The officer added that a JCB machine was arranged on priority, and due to the collective and timely efforts of the police team, both injured individuals were safely extricated and shifted to hospital through CATS Ambulance for medical attention, the DCP said.
The area was secured and traffic was regulated, the police said, adding that a hydraulic crane was deployed to remove the tree.
Municipal authorities have been alerted to assess the damage and carry out necessary pruning in the area to prevent further incidents, the officials added. PTI SSJ NB
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