New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday ordered a probe into the building collapse in northeast Delhi’s Mustafabad in which 11 people were killed and 11 were injured.

Gupta said the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service (DFS), and other agencies are engaged in relief and rescue efforts.

“Arrangements have been made for proper treatment of all the injured,” she said.

A 20-year-old four-storey building collapsed in Shakti Vihar, Mustafabad around 3 am. Police said around 22 people were trapped when the building came down but 14 people were later brought out and taken to GTB Hospital, where doctors declared four of them brought dead.

A total of 11 people have died in the incident and 11 are injured, they said.

In a post on X, Chief Minister Gupta said, “Deeply saddened by the tragic building collapse in Mustafabad. Orders have been given to investigate the incident and strict action will be taken against the culprits.” “My deepest condolences to those who died in the unfortunate accident. May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss,” the chief minister said.

AAP supremo and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also extended his condolences to the bereaved families.

“I appeal to all the party workers to fully cooperate with the administration in relief and rescue operations,” he said in a post on X.

Delhi minister Kapil Mishra accompanied by BJP MLA from Mustafabad and Deputy Speaker in Delhi Assembly Mohan Singh Bisht visited the site of the building collapse, according statement read.

They met with the affected families and heard their concerns. Terming the incident extremely heartbreaking, he said that the Delhi government stands with the victims with complete sensitivity and will provide them with every possible assistance.

He said that under the direction of the chief minister, he himself was assessing the situation. He said that this incident was not merely an accident, but the result of “serious criminal negligence” and the culprits would not be spared under any circumstances, said a statement.

The minister said that the area is surrounded by “illegally constructed 6-7 storey buildings” that may cause even bigger disasters in the future.

Areas like Seelampur, Mustafabad, and Jafrabad are overwhelmed with “illegal constructions” and the situation is extremely alarming. He directed officials to identify all such buildings and evacuate them immediately to ensure the safety of lives and property in time, the statement said.

In order to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, old and unsafe buildings in the area will be identified and necessary action will be taken. For this, he instructed the commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to survey the entire area within the next 2-3 days and prepare a report listing the high-risk buildings, it said.

MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar visited the site along with the deputy commissioner of the zone and other senior officials. A structural survey has been launched for the nearby buildings.

The property, built on a plot of around 60 square yards, consisted of a ground floor and three additional storeys.

“Prima facie, it was found that the structural design of the building did not adhere to the required load-bearing capacity,” MCD said in a statement.

Bisht said that he has been continuously raising the issue of illegal construction in the area and that the government is committed to the overall development of the locality so that people do not face any kind of problems.

Leader of Opposition, Atishi expressed grief over the incident and urged AAP workers in Mustafabad to support the authorities in the ongoing operations.

Police teams, along with rescue agencies, remain at the site, and an investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the collapse. PTI MHS VIT HIG HIG