New Delhi: The building collapse in the Karol Bagh area of the national capital has left a trail of grief in Uttar Pradesh, claiming the lives of a minor boy and three youths of the Khata Nagariya village in Rampur district. It descended a pall of gloom through the neighbourhood, leaving families and friends reeling in anguish.
The four-storey building, estimated to be around 30 years old, housed shoe-slippers factories on all floors, including the ground floor. A tin shed on the fourth floor accommodated another factory. The structure collapsed on Wednesday morning, trapping many under the debris.
Among the deceased are the two real brothers Muneem (25) and Mujeeb (18), and their friends Aman (12) and Mohsin (26). The youngest, Aman’s life was cut short in the prime of childhood. The victims worked at the Karol Bagh's shoe-slippers industry.
Eyewitness Arbaaz, also from the village, narrowly escaped the accident as he had stepped outside with his friends just minutes before the collapse. On return, he witnessed destruction with people screaming and crying as his friends were buried under the rubble.
"It was heartbreaking to witness ruins all over," the visibly shaken, Arbaaz recounted. "I was frozen and couldn't save my friends."
The incident led to injuries to at least 14 people, who are currently receiving medical attention.
Soon after the tragedy, the Delhi government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the deceased.
Meanwhile, the incident triggered sharp criticism against Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government as concerns grew about the building safety and implementation of regulations in Delhi.
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