Chawri Bazar building collapse: Death toll rises to seven; body of 66-year-old recovered on third day

NDRF personnel conduct a search and rescue operation at the site after a three-storey building under construction collapsed at Chawri Bazar in New Delhi on November 06, 2026. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap The death toll in the Chawri Bazar building collapse in Old Delhi rose to seven on Sunday (November 8, 2026), on Deepavai, after another body was recovered from the rubble, nearly three days after the under-construction three-storey building collapsed.Also read | Chawri Bazar building collapse: Death toll rises to six as police arrest ownerThe deceased was identified as Luchhuman Mukhiya, 66, and a resident of Village Jakauli in Bihar’s Darbhanga district. The mortal remains were shifted to Dr. Lalit Narayan Mishra Memorial (LNJP) Hospital for further proceedings.With this, seven bodies have been recovered from the debris since the collapse on Thursday morning. While two bodies were pulled out on Thursday, four more were recovered during Saturday’s rescue operation. The latest recovery was made on Sunday, as search operation remains underway amid fears that more workers may be trapped.The two persons injured in the incident and rescued on Thursday are still undergoing treatment and are reported to be stable.The “unauthorised” three-storey building, located in Gali Sheesh Mahal in the congested Chawri Bazar market, collapsed on Thursday morning while the roof slab of its third floor was being laid. A preliminary investigation suggested that the supporting pillars had allegedly failed to bear the load.According to the police, around 15 construction workers were present at the site when the building collapsed. The structure was allegedly being constructed without authorisation on a plot measuring approximately 70 square yards, with construction having been underway for around six months.The collapse triggered a rescue operation involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service (DFS), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) along with civil defence volunteers.Rescue and debris-clearance operations have been hampered by the narrow lanes and severe space constraints in the densely populated market. The limited access has prevented heavy machinery, including earthmovers, from reaching the site, forcing teams to carry out most of the work manually.Personnel have been using drilling machines to break large chunks of concrete into smaller pieces, along with electric iron cutters to cut through the rubble. Mini-trolleys and mules have also been deployed to move debris out of the site.A team comprising 38 NDRF personnel, 30 MCD labourers, 10–12 DFS personnel and 15-20 civil defence volunteers had been deployed for the operation. A DDMA team was also assisting, with an incident command post set up to coordinate the rescue efforts.The incident has also raised questions over the unauthorised construction at the site. The police had flagged the construction to the MCD five months before the collapse. Following the incident, the civic body suspended a junior engineer and an assistant engineer from its Building Department, citing a prima facie case of dereliction of duty pending further inquiry.The Delhi Police have arrested the building owner, Samiullah alias Ayub, and three contractors — Siraj, Tajuddin and Furkan — in connection with the collapse. All four have been booked under Sections 105, 290, 125(a) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further investigation into the case remains underway. Published - November 08, 2026 10:21 am IST