A quiet Thursday morning in one of Old Delhi's busiest trading pockets turned into a rescue operation when part of an under-construction building in Gali Sitara, close to the Chawri Bazaar Metro station, came crashing down at around 9:50 am on November 5. At least two people have lost their lives, and rescue teams spent the morning picking through bricks and twisted iron amid fears that more people could be under the debris.
Fire units, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local officials rushed to the lane, which is barely wide enough for a handcart, and began a careful search. Officials said the cause of the collapse had not yet been established and that more details were awaited.
What happened in Gali Sitara
According to early reports, the structure was a three-storey building that was still being built. The NDRF described the incident as the collapse of a portion of the under-construction building, while several outlets reported that much of the structure had given way. What is clear is that the falling masonry trapped people who were inside or near the site at the time.
Two men were pulled out of the rubble and taken to hospital, where they were declared dead, reports said. Several others were feared trapped in the first hours of the operation, though no official figure for the number of people missing had been released by the time of writing. Authorities have sealed off the site.
Rescue in a tight space
The Delhi Fire Service sent six fire tenders, including water tenders and rescue vehicles, to the spot. Senior fire officers supervised the operation alongside NDRF teams, who carried out search and rescue at the site. In lanes as narrow as those around Chawri Bazaar, heavy machinery is of limited use, so much of the work is done by hand: rescuers remove debris piece by piece to avoid triggering a further collapse onto anyone trapped below.
| Date and time | Thursday, November 5, 2026, around 9:50 am |
| Location | Gali Sitara, near Chawri Bazaar Metro station, Old Delhi |
| Building | Three-storey, under construction |
| Deaths | At least 2 (as of Thursday afternoon) |
| Agencies on site | Delhi Fire Service (6 fire tenders), NDRF, local officials |
| Cause | Not yet established |
Political reaction
The collapse quickly drew a political response. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned how buildings continue to fall even after the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out safety audits of buildings across the city. He also alleged corruption among officials who are meant to check construction. These are political allegations and have not been verified; there was no immediate official response to them.
No FIR, suspension or formal inquiry had been announced at the time of writing. In past cases, Delhi authorities have usually ordered a probe into whether construction rules were followed and whether the necessary approvals were in place.
Why this matters for Delhi residents
This is not the first collapse in the capital this year. Buildings have come down in Satya Niketan in South Delhi in September and in Seemapuri in northeast Delhi in October, both with loss of life. Each incident has raised the same uncomfortable questions about illegal floors, weak old foundations and construction carried out without proper supervision.
The walled city is especially vulnerable. Old Delhi is packed with decades-old buildings that share walls, sit on narrow lanes and have been altered many times over. When one structure is being rebuilt or extended, neighbouring buildings can be put at risk too. Shopkeepers and residents in such areas often have little idea whether work next door has the required sanction.
What residents can do
- Watch for warning signs: fresh cracks in walls or ceilings, doors and windows that suddenly jam, or crumbling plaster near construction work.
- Raise a complaint early: unsafe or unauthorised construction can be reported to the local MCD zonal office.
- Keep away from active sites: avoid standing or parking handcarts and vehicles right next to buildings under construction.
- Call for help quickly: in an emergency, dial 112, or 101 for the fire service.
What happens next
The immediate priority is to make sure no one else is trapped under the debris. Once the search is complete, engineers are expected to check the stability of adjoining buildings in the lane, and officials are likely to examine whether the construction had the required permissions. The casualty figures above are based on reports from Thursday and may change as the operation continues. We will update this story as officials share more information.
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