FATHER AND SON BURIED UNDER COLLAPSING HOUSE IN NORTHEAST DELHI AS OVERNIGHT RESCUE OPERATION CONTINUES
October 26, 2026
Two people, a 60-year-old father and his 33-year-old son, died after a building collapsed in the Milan Garden area of Harsh Vihar in northeast Delhi on Sunday evening, October 25. Rescue personnel recovered their bodies from beneath the rubble during an overnight operation, while teams continued searching the site for another person believed to be trapped under the debris.
The deceased have been identified as Chanderpal, 60, and his son Vijay Kumar, 33. Both were residents of Harsh Vihar. They were taken to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital after being recovered from the collapsed structure, where doctors declared them dead.
The incident occurred at a property in Milan Garden, along Sewa Dham Road, within the jurisdiction of Harsh Vihar police station. Police received information about the collapse at approximately 6.46 pm on Sunday and immediately dispatched personnel to the location. The Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and Civil Defence volunteers subsequently joined the rescue operation.
According to preliminary information, construction work was underway on the first floor of the building when the structure gave way. The ground floor was part of an older building, reportedly used as a godown, while additional construction was being carried out above it. The collapse brought down the newly constructed portion along with the underlying structure.
The property is reportedly owned by a person identified as Manoj Kumar, police said. Authorities have initiated legal proceedings and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Emergency teams deployed fire service vehicles, ambulances, machinery and a crane to remove debris and search for people who might have been trapped. The operation continued through the night as rescuers worked to clear the collapsed structure and establish whether anyone else remained beneath the rubble.
The precise cause of the collapse has not yet been established. Investigators will need to determine the condition of the existing building, the nature of the construction work being undertaken and whether structural weaknesses or violations of building-safety requirements contributed to the disaster. Until the investigation is completed, any explanation for the collapse remains preliminary.
The incident has renewed concerns about construction safety in Delhi, where older buildings and additional floors constructed above existing structures can present serious risks if the original foundations, columns and slabs are unable to support the added load. Construction and renovation work require appropriate structural assessment, technical supervision and compliance with applicable building regulations.
The Harsh Vihar tragedy comes amid a series of building-collapse incidents in the national capital in recent months, intensifying questions about the enforcement of building standards and the safety of structures undergoing renovation or expansion. A separate collapse at Satya Niketan in September claimed seven lives, including students, and prompted investigations and action against officials and those allegedly responsible.
Delhi ministers Kapil Mishra and Ashish Sood visited the Harsh Vihar site as rescue and relief efforts continued. Officials said the circumstances of the latest incident would be investigated and that action would be taken against anyone found responsible.
For the families affected, the immediate tragedy is the loss of two members of the same household. For the authorities, the priority remains completing the search operation, establishing the cause of the collapse and determining whether negligence or breaches of safety regulations played a role.
The investigation will be crucial in establishing accountability and identifying measures needed to prevent similar disasters. The deaths of Chanderpal and Vijay Kumar underline the potentially fatal consequences of structural failure and the importance of ensuring that construction work is carried out under safe and properly supervised conditions.
