At least two people have died and several others feared trapped under the rubble after a building collapsed in Delhi’s historic Chawri Bazaar area on Thursday morning. Emergency rescue operations are underway with multiple fire department teams and rescue personnel rushing to the spot.
The collapse took place at 9:50 am in Gali Sitara near Chawri Bazaar Metro Station in Old Delhi. Preliminary information is that three-storeyed under construction building suddenly collapsed leaving behind a huge heap of debris and raising fears that people may still be trapped inside.
How many people were present in the building when it collapsed cannot be ascertained yet and authorities are trying to ascertain the scale of tragedy.
#WATCH | Delhi: Visuals from the spot where a portion of an under construction building collapsed in Delhi’s Chawri Bazaar area. As per Delhi Police, two people have lost their lives and one is injured in the incident. https://t.co/GlOacjVLld
— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2026
Six fire department units water tenders and rescue vehicles were sent to the spot after the collapse. Emergency services personnel immediately started rescue operations and searched through debris for anyone who might have survived. Narrow lanes and congested surroundings of Old Delhi could make it harder for rescuers to get into the building and remove rubble.
Officials are expected to provide more details as the operation goes on. The identities of the dead and number of injured or missing people were not officially confirmed in the preliminary information so far.
The incident has once again raised questions about building safety, structural stability and enforcement of construction regulations in the national capital. Old Delhi Chawri Bazaar and Chandni Chowk for instance is densely packed with buildings, narrow streets and old structures.
Many properties here have undergone multiple renovations and modifications over the years. When construction and redevelopment activities take place amid closely packed buildings structural assessments need to be done properly and safety regulations adhered to so as not to cause accidents.
Collapse of an under-construction three storey building has therefore revived questions whether proper inspections and precautionary measures were taken before construction work started.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj attacked Delhi government after the incident and questioned whether building safety audits by authorities had worked. He targeted the administration headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta saying repeated inspections and announcements of safety audit did not prevent building collapses in city.
Bharadwaj also claimed this was third building collapse in Delhi within a few months and questioned government’s approach to urban safety and construction monitoring.
Breaking: Another 3-storey building collapses at Chawri Bazaar/Chandni Chowk. Many feared trapped under debris. Rekha Gupta's government and MCD conducted multiple safety audits of all buildings in Delhi, yet buildings keep collapsing. Why? Safety audits have been ordered repeatedly, but instead of real action, multiple departments collected bribes many times, which is why buildings collapse every month. Earlier only @DelhiPolice and @MCD_Delhi took bribes; after Rekha Gupta's government, the Fire Department and SDMs (Revenue Department under her) also started collecting bribes from buildings. Those who refuse to pay bribes get sealed by MCD. This explains the pick-and-choose enforcement, shocking that two gyms in GK2 market were sealed in a ward while other gyms and commercial buildings stay open in same south zone.
— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) November 5, 2026
Bharadwaj posted on social media platform X that another three-storey building collapsed in Chawri Bazaar and Chandni Chowk area with several people feared trapped under debris.
He asked why incidents like this were happening when Delhi government and MCD had reportedly carried out multiple safety audits of buildings across the capital but “instead of taking action after inspections officials from different departments collected bribes so unsafe buildings remained vulnerable”.
None of these allegations have been independently verified but would need to be looked into by authorities concerned.
The latest incident has also reminded us of the MCD’s and other government agencies’ responsibilities for identifying structurally weak buildings, monitoring construction activities and making sure property owners comply with building safety regulations.
Structural inspections on a regular basis, notices for dangerous properties in time and strict action against unauthorised construction are all measures to reduce risk but how effective they are depends on implementation and accountability.
Meanwhile rescue operations are top priority now with teams still searching for people trapped under the collapsed building. Authorities will probe what caused the collapse whether the building was structurally sound, had construction permissions and safety violations etc.
The cause of accident is yet to be known. Details about death toll, injuries, missing persons and rescue efforts are awaited. The tragedy has once again brought out the need for stronger building safety enforcement in Delhi especially in densely populated areas where structural failures can endanger many lives.
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