New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Eleven lives could have been saved had the residents of the building, that collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Mustafabad area, paid heed to a minor tremble they experienced just a few hours before the structure crumbled.

The two-decade-old four-storey building collapsed in the early hours of Saturday, snuffing out 11 lives, including that of three children. The incident also left 11 people injured. The building housed four shops on the ground floor.

“The reason for the collapse has been ascertained to be the knocking down of a pillar between two shops on Friday to make more space for a third. The pillar proved to crucial in providing support to the 20-year-old building,” a senior police officer said.

The officer said that around 11 pm on Friday, the residents felt the building was shaking a bit but dismissed it as a minor earthquake.

Notwithstanding the revelation, police are still investigating different angles for the building collapse. They are also ascertaining whether wastewater from the nearby swears, which has been seeping into the building for years, had weakened its walls.

A case has been registered against the owner of the building on charges of negligence, among others.

The deceased in the collapse include Tehseen (60), his son Nazeem (30), his wife Shahina (28), their three children — Anas (6), Afreen (2) and Afan (2) — and the building owner’s younger daughter-in-law Chandni (23). Brothers Danish (23) and Naved (17), Reshma (38) and Ishaq (75) also died in the incident. PTI SSJ SSJ NSD NSD