New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) The Delhi Police on Thursday revised the death toll in the Seemapuri building collapse to four, saying body parts and remains recovered from the debris were yet to be identified through DNA examination.
Earlier, police said five bodies had been recovered from the debris after the four-storey building collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Seemapuri area on Wednesday. The latest update, however, said four persons had been confirmed dead, while body parts recovered from the site could not yet be ascertained to be of separate victims.
The identified deceased were Gulafsa, 21, Haza Bibi, 56, Nusrat, 33, and a child aged around three to four years whose identity has not yet been ascertained, police said.
A police source said that Nusrat is the daughter of the owner who is still absconding.
Police said body parts and remains have also been recovered from the debris and their identification will be established through DNA examination. The exercise will help ascertain whether the remains belong to separate victims or are body parts of those already identified.
Eight injured persons were rescued from the site and shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur, where they are undergoing treatment. Their condition was stated to be stable.
The four-storey building, located near Idgah Machhli Mandi in Seemapuri, collapsed on Wednesday afternoon, trapping several people under the debris.
Rescue teams comprising personnel from the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Services, National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Disaster Management Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board were deployed at the site.
The rescue operation has now been completed, according to the latest police update, though debris clearance and investigation are underway.
A case has been registered at the Seemapuri police station against the owner, Anwar. According to police, he was not present at the time of the incident. His family members occupied portions of the building, while other residents also lived there.
Gulafsa, who was around four months pregnant, was among those killed in the collapse. Police had earlier said that a 12-year-old girl and a child aged around one-and-a-half years were also among the victims. The latest police statement, however, gives the identity of one deceased child as being around three to four years old and says the identity of another victim remains to be ascertained.
According to preliminary information, demolition work was being carried out in a neighbouring property following complaints regarding alleged unauthorised construction. Police are probing whether the demolition activity had any connection with the collapse.
Officials are also examining whether the building had developed cracks following tremors caused by an earthquake in Uttarakhand on Tuesday evening. The exact cause of the collapse has not yet been established.
The narrow lanes around the site posed challenges for rescue personnel and heavy machinery. Nearby houses were also evacuated as a precaution after the collapse.
Police said the investigation will establish the sequence of events, the condition of the building and whether any negligence or violation of safety norms contributed to the tragedy. PTI BM PRK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.