Chandni Chowk Building Collapse: Two Dead, 15 Trapped in Delhi, Eyewitness Says ‘Woke Up To Crashing Sound’

Two people died, and 15 others have been confirmed to be trapped after part of a three-storey building under construction gave way in Delhi's Chandni Chowk area on Thursday morning. Several more are feared to be dead. The collapse happened near Chawri Bazaar Metro Station.

Delhi Fire Services informed that it received a call from the Paiwalan area at around 9:50 am. Six fire department units were rushed to the spot as rescue teams began searching through the debris.

A DFS official sayid according to PTI, "At least 15 people are feared trapped... several have been injured. We received a call at 9.50 am. Teams from NDMC, Delhi Police, DFS and MCD are involved in rescue operation."

The collapse has renewed concerns over building safety in old and congested parts of Delhi, where narrow lanes can slow emergency access. The cause of the collapse and the condition of the structure are yet to be established.

Rescue Operation Details

Delhi Fire Services first sent two water tenders, one water bowser, one Quick Response Vehicle (QRV) and one Incident Response Team (IRT) to the site.

By 10:15 am, Station Officer DK Rai told the department that the under-construction three-storey building had come down and that several people could be trapped beneath the rubble. He also sought extra personnel and asked for a senior officer to come to the site.

The fire department then added one more water tender and sent Assistant Divisional Officer Rajesh Shukla to help with the rescue, bringing the total deployment to six units. ADO Rajesh Shukla, Station Officer Bhupender Sharma and Station Officer DK Rai are overseeing the operation. Teams are still working to find and reach anyone trapped under the debris.

Eyewitness Account Details

Residents heard the collapse before they saw it. Eyewitness Mohd Nayeem said it happened around 9 am or 9:30 am when people in the area were asleep, accoring to India Today.

"We heard a loud crashing sound and rushed outside, initially fearing that our own house was collapsing. We then realised that the neighbouring building, which was under construction, had caved in. Three or four lintels had already been cast, and they collapsed together. An injured labourer told us that around three or four workers were present at the site. We also saw a body being pulled out of the debris. The building had been under construction for the past three to four months," he said.

Nayeem's account points to active construction at the site. He said the building had been under construction for the past three to four months.

AAP Criticises Government

The collapse also drew a political response. Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government and questioned the value of building safety audits conducted by the authorities.

"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?" he wrote on X.

Bharadwaj also accused civic and government agencies of taking bribes. He said the Delhi Police, MCD, Fire Department and the Revenue Department were all involved in collecting money from building owners. He added that the MCD sealed buildings when owners would not pay, and pointed to two gyms shut in Greater Kailash 2 while other gyms and commercial properties in the same South Delhi zone kept running.

Safety Questions Renewed

The incident has again raised questions about the safety of under-construction and ageing buildings in Delhi. In Chandni Chowk, densely packed buildings and narrow lanes add to the difficulty for emergency teams working at collapse sites.

Much is still unclear. The circumstances behind Thursday's collapse and the condition of the building have not yet been established. More details on the victims and on the number of people trapped are awaited as rescue operations continue.

This is the second major collapse in under two months. On September 6, a five-storey building in Delhi's Satya Niketan that housed paying guest accommodation fell, killing seven people and injuring six others. Investigators later examined whether repair work had weakened the structure, and the Delhi government said it would require periodic structural audits and safety certificates for buildings used as hostels, schools and nursing homes.

This is a developing story