MCD Orders Probe in Delhi's Alipur Wall Collapse Incident, 2 Engineers Suspended

A junior engineer and assistant engineer are placed under suspension pending an inquiry into the incident.

The wall collapsed in Delhi's Alipur leaving five dead.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has ordered a probe into the wall collapse incident in Delhi's Alipur on Friday, 15 July, that claimed the lives of five people and left nine injured.

A wall, which was approximately 100 feet long and 15 feet high, of an under-construction warehouse collapsed.

A junior engineer and assistant engineer were placed under suspension pending an inquiry into the incident, a senior MCD official told news agency PTI. The inquiry was ordered on Friday on the orders of the municipal commissioner.

The deceased have been identified as Pramod (45), Bablu (35), Rishipal, Pramod (35), and Pramod Kumar (29), The Indian Express reported.

A case has been filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 288 (negligently pulling down/repairing building), 304 (culpable homicide), 337 (hurt by an act endangering life) and 34 (common intention).

Two people have been arrested in connection with the case, PTI reported.

The Delhi Police and MCD said the construction was illegal and they had issued orders against it in April-May. However, the builder had started the work again this month.

The area of the godown is about 5,000 square yards, and the owner of the land has been identified as Shakti Singh, who is a native of Alipur.

PM Modi Expresses Anguish

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the incident.

"Anguished by the mishap in Alipur, Delhi. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those who are injured recover at the earliest," he was quoted as saying in a tweet by the PMO.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted saying he is monitoring the relief work.

"A tragic incident happened in Alipur. The district administration is involved in relief and rescue work. I am monitoring the relief work. I pray for those who lost their lives," Kejriwal had tweeted in Hindi.

(With inputs from The Indian Express.)