Chawri Bazar building collapse: Another body retrieved from, toll rises to three

Debris from building collapse being taken at Chawri Bazar in New Delhi on November 6, 2026. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap The death toll in the Chawri Bazar building collapse rose to three on Saturday (November 7, 2026) after rescuers recovered the body of another victim from the debris during the ongoing rescue operations. The third victim has been identified as 40-year-old Pankaj Sharma, said DCP (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh.Sharma was a resident of Hanuman Nagar village in Bihar’s Khagaria district. With this, a total of five people have so far been rescued or recovered from the rubble, comprising three deceased, and two injured workers. Both the workers are stable after receiving medical treatment.Rescue operations are continuing at the site.The building under construction collapsed in Gali Sitara near Chawri Bazar Metro station around 9.45 a.m. on Thursday (October 5, 2026).Around 10 to 15 labourers were present at the construction site when the three-storey structure came crashing down, Mr. Singh had said.Earlier, two labourers, identified as Kishori (40) and Sanjeet (45), were declared dead, while Sahdev Chaudhary (25) and Firoz (37) were rescued with injuries. The building was allegedly being constructed without the requisite approval on a 50-square-metre plot. An MCD official had said no building plan was sanctioned for the structure.The civic body had also said the construction had reached the third floor and the building collapsed while the roof slab was being laid. The material used was non-engineered and had not set properly, the official had said.In June, the Delhi Police had flagged unauthorised construction at the property. In a communication dated June 15, the SHO of Hauz Qazi police station had informed the MCD's City Sadar Paharganj Zone about the construction work and identified the landowner and contractor as Furqan.Police have registered an FIR under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the building owners and contractors. Efforts are underway to trace the builders.(With inputs from PTI) Published - November 07, 2026 10:32 am IST