Delhi Building Collapse: Probe Points to Basement Dumping, Wall Removal

An investigation into the collapse of a building in south-west Delhi's Satya Niketan area has identified two critical errors during renovation that are believed to have caused the structure to fail, resulting in seven deaths.

Officials stated that renovation work had been in progress for more than a week before the incident on Sunday. The building, estimated to be 50 years old, had a basement where water was accumulating. To address this, the owners decided to fill the space with debris and level it with the ground floor. Three truckloads of construction material had already been dumped in the basement.

Simultaneously, a wall on the ground floor was removed to expand space for a shop. Investigators believe the combined effect of the added weight in the basement and the removal of the supporting wall severely compromised the building's stability.

Labour contractor Sanoj Kumar, who has been arrested, told police he was assigned the work by Mahesh Gupta, the son of building owner Hariram Gupta. Kumar stated he was being paid Rs 2,800 per day.

The First Information Report (FIR) notes that Hariram Gupta and his brother added floors to the already weak structure. The building was being operated by others, including one Sudhanshu Gupta, who marketed it as a paying guest accommodation called 'Hostel Daze'.

The building's proximity to Delhi University made it popular for student housing. The seven people killed in the tragedy included five students.

A court in Patiala House has granted police two days of custody for Mahesh Gupta, Sanoj Kumar, and Sudhanshu.