New Delhi: The death toll in the Chawri Bazar building collapse rose to seven Sunday after rescue teams recovered another body from the debris during the ongoing operation.The deceased was identified as Luchhuman Mukhiya (66), a resident of Jakauli village in Biharâs Darbhanga district. His body was shifted to LNJP Hospital for legal formalities, officials said.The latest recovery came a day after rescuers pulled out four bodies from the rubble, taking the toll to six. The victims were identified as Vipin Ram, Pankaj Sharma, Shantu and Dinesh Sah, all residents of Biharâs Khagaria district.The under-construction building collapsed around 9.48 am Thursday in Gali Sheesh Mahal, Gali Sahatara, in Chawri Bazar. According to local residents, around 15 labourers were working at the site when the structure came crashing down.A joint rescue operation involving Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services and Municipal Corporation of Delhi was launched after the collapse. Six fire tenders were deployed at the site. The rescue operation continued on Sunday.Among those initially pulled out from the debris were labourers Kishori Sah (40) and Sanjeet (45), both from Bihar. They later succumbed to their injuries. Two others, Sahdev Chaudhary (25) and Firoz (37), sustained injuries and are stated to be out of danger.Meanwhile, police have arrested the building owner, Saimullah, and three contractors in connection with the incident. According to police, the accused had not obtained the required permissions from the authorities to carry out the construction work.They have been booked under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.âThe contractors knew that such an incident could happen but did not pay any heed. No safety equipment was provided to the workers,â an officer said.The officer added that the accused were aware that they lacked the necessary permissions and had not obtained approval of the building plan from the competent authority. Despite this, they allegedly continued with the construction work, which eventually led to the collapse.
