Five dead, 8 injured in Delhi wall collapse

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) At least 5 persons were killed and 8 others sustained injuries after a boundary wall of an under-construction warehouse collapsed in the national capital on Friday afternoon, an official said.

Delhi Fire Service chief Atul Garg said that they received a call about the incident around 12.40 p.m. at Bakoli village, near Chauhan Dharamkanta in the Narela area after which six fire tenders were immediately pressed into service.

Delhi Police also received a PCR call at the same time at Alipur police station after which the staff rushed to the spot and found that approximately 100 ft long and 15 ft high wall of an under construction warehouse had collapsed.

"Initially, approximately 20 labourers who were digging a foundation just adjacent to the wall were buried under the debris," the official said.

Meanwhile, ambulances and firefighters also reached the spot and collectively, the police and the firemen were able to rescue 13 labourers from the accident site.

"All of them were immediately rushed to Raja Harish Chand Hospital, however, five of them succumbed to their injuries," the official said.

The rescue operation is still underway.

The police have set a perimeter for the people to keep them away from the incident site as an intense rescue operation was going on to save any person who might be still trapped under the debris.

Meanwhile, two JCB cranes and 5 Hydras were deployed to remove the debris of the collapsed wall.The police said they have identified the owner of the land and the contractor under whom all the labourers were working.

"A legal action has been initiated," the official added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed grief over the tragic incident.

"Anguished by the mishap in Alipur, Delhi. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those who are injured recover at the earliest," the Prime Minister said.

Kejriwal said the accident that happened in Alipur is really tragic and he prayed for the peace of the departed souls.

"The district administration is engaged in relief and rescue work. I am personally monitoring it," the chief minister wrote on Twitter.