15 building collapse incidents reported in Delhi amid record rainfall

New Delhi [India]: Record rainfall over the last couple of days has taken a heavy toll of the national capital, with as many as 15 house collapse incidents leaving 2 dead and 7 injured, an official informed on Sunday.

Speaking to media on Sunday, the director of Delhi Fire Service, Atul Garg, confirmed receiving as many as 15 calls pertain to house collapse incidents over the last couple of days. He informed further that in several of these incidents, the firefighters ran into trouble reaching the spot on account of heavy and extensive waterlogging.

“We received 15 such calls, the most in a single day. Some old, decrepit houses and some under-construction buildings couldn’t sustain the heavy rainfall and collapsed. Further, on account of severe waterlogging, we had trouble reaching the spot,” Garg told media.

Meanwhile, in another incident, a wall caved in at Delhi’s Sunder Nagar market due to heavy and unrelenting showers.

However, no casualties were reported in this incident.

In Tis Hazari, a wall of a veterinary hospital collapsed, leaving one dead and another injured, a Delhi Fire Services official said.

In another incident, the boundary wall of a government school at Garhi Jharia Maria in the East of Kailash collapsed on Saturfay due to heavy rainfall.

After learning of the incident, Delhi Education Minister Atishi instructed officers to inspect all Delhi government and MCD schools to prevent such incidents.

“Many of our schools are very old. In two of such schools, walls, walls over 35-40 years old, collapsed. Delhi received 150 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour span, which was a record in 20 years. We have instructed officers to inspect all government and MCD schools and run necessary repairs so that such incidents could be prevented,” the Education minister said.

Meanwhile, the AAP government in the national capital issued a flood warning after one lakh cusecs of water were released from the Hathinkund barrage at 4 pm, said an official.

The official informed further, “The water level of the Yamuna, in Delhi, is rising. It was recorded at 203.66 metres at the old railway bridge at 9 pm. The warning level of the Yamuna is at 204.50 metres and the danger level is at 205.33 metres. Water is continuously being released from the Hathinkund Barrage into the Yamuna.”