New Delhi [India], September 7 (ANI): Delhi Police have issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against Hariram, owner of the building that collapsed in Satya Niketan, claiming six lives, as he remains untraceable.
Police teams are conducting searches at multiple locations to trace and apprehend him.
The building, which housed a PG accommodation, collapsed on Sunday afternoon, trapping several students inside. A total of 11 students have been rescued so far, while six were declared dead on arrival at the hospital. An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigation is underway.
The NDRF-led rescue operation continued at the site as authorities worked to ensure no one remained trapped under the debris. Police are also examining claims regarding the building's status and condition prior to the collapse.
BJP's RK Puram MLA Anil Sharma, speaking on the incident, said there was no exact figure for the number of people inside the PG at the time. "The upper estimate was 13 children and 3-4 laborers--making a total of around 16 or 17 people. Of these, 12 were rescued. Tragically, 6 lives could not be saved. 6 survived by the grace of God and are currently undergoing treatment in the hospital; we expect the entire rescue operation to conclude by this afternoon or, at the latest, by evening," he said.
Sharma said the 40-year-old building was undergoing repair work in the basement or ground floor area, likely due to dampness, or possibly alterations.
"It appears that during these alterations, one or two load-bearing walls were disturbed or removed, causing the entire building to collapse. This is a major tragedy caused by the actions of the builder or the property owner. If such work were to be undertaken, an engineer should have been engaged to prevent such an incident, " he said.
He said strict action was being taken against the responsible party on the Chief Minister's orders, and that an arrest had either already been made or was imminent.
An eyewitness, Surjeet, a student from Aryabhatta College who lives in the area, said he rushed to the site as soon as he heard about the collapse, which he estimated occurred between 1:15 and 1:30 PM.
"At that stage, there were no confirmed fatalities, though it was becoming clear who was trapped and who wasn't. We managed to pull out those who were accessible," he said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government has issued directives to immediately seal illegal five-storey buildings across the city. According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), this comes as part of a wider safety crackdown following the building collapse.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta revisited the collapse site this morning to review safety measures and the ongoing operations. (ANI)
Delhi Police issue lookout circular against Satya Niketan building owner; rescue operations likely to end by evening, says MLA
