Four people, including a pregnant woman and two children, have been killed after a four-storey residential building collapsed in northeast Delhi's New Seemapuri area on Wednesday afternoon, with rescue teams still combing through the rubble for anyone who may remain trapped, officials said on Thursday.

The death toll rose to four after rescuers recovered another body from the debris in the early hours of Thursday. Eight other people were injured and taken to the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur for treatment.

What happened

The collapse took place at around 3.10–3.30pm on Wednesday near the Idgah Machhli Mandi area of New Seemapuri, in the Shahdara district of northeast Delhi. The Delhi Fire Services received a call about the incident and rushed four fire tenders to the spot, according to The Indian Express.

Within minutes, residents began pulling people out of the rubble themselves before emergency teams arrived. Teams from the Delhi Police, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) launched a large-scale multi-agency search-and-rescue operation.

Among the dead were Gulafsa, 21, who was about four months pregnant, a girl aged around 12 whose identity was yet to be established, and a child aged around one and a half. The eight injured were identified as Momin Mirja (56), Abdaan (3), Abdul Rehman (28), Devruddin (28), Salma (50), Chote (34), Sakina (35) and Samad (30).

One relative, Reshma, 24, described frantically searching between the collapse site and the hospital for her younger sister, who had been walking through the area with her four-year-old daughter Zoya when the building came down.

Tremors and a troubled building

Authorities are investigating whether cracks that appeared in the building after Delhi experienced earthquake tremors on Tuesday evening may have contributed to the collapse. The Times of India reported that the tremors, triggered by an earthquake in Uttarakhand, left visible cracks in the structure, and that the building owner was in the process of vacating it when it gave way.

The MCD described the structure as a ground-plus-three-floor building standing on a plot of about 25 square yards in a densely packed locality, next to a mosque. The building was around 20–25 years old. The mosque's boundary wall also collapsed in the impact, while walls of an adjoining building were damaged — and officials noted that demolition work was being carried out in an adjoining structure, raising questions about whether machinery vibrations played a role.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed officials and agencies to maintain close coordination, speed up rescue efforts and ensure medical care and assistance for affected families.

A grimly familiar story

This is not the first building collapse to shock Delhi this year. In September, a PG building collapsed in southwest Delhi's Satya Niketan, killing seven students — an incident the Millennium Post noted as it reported "another month, another collapse." A similar tragedy struck in Istanbul in July, where a building collapse killed two people, underscoring a wider problem with ageing, often unauthorised construction in densely populated cities.

India's capital has a long record of deadly building collapses, frequently linked to illegal construction, poor maintenance and lax enforcement of building codes in densely packed low-income localities. New Seemapuri, a crowded neighbourhood in northeast Delhi, is exactly the kind of area where such risks concentrate.

Rescue continues

As of Thursday morning, about 75% of the debris had been cleared, according to an MCD official cited by The Indian Express, with a couple more hours of work expected. Officials said they feared one to two more people might still be trapped, and search-and-rescue operations were continuing at the site.

Key takeaways

  • A four-storey residential building collapsed in Delhi's New Seemapuri on Wednesday afternoon.
  • Four people died, including a 21-year-old pregnant woman and two children; eight were injured.
  • Officials are probing whether earthquake tremors on Tuesday caused cracks that led to the collapse.
  • The building stood on a 25-square-yard plot in a densely packed locality; a mosque wall and adjoining buildings were damaged.
  • Rescue operations continued Thursday, with 1–2 people feared still trapped.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did the building collapse happen?

In New Seemapuri, in northeast Delhi's Shahdara district, near the Idgah Machhli Mandi area, on Wednesday afternoon, October 7, 2026.

How many people were killed?

Four people, including a 21-year-old woman who was four months pregnant, a girl aged around 12 and a child of around one and a half. Eight others were injured.

What caused the collapse?

The exact cause is still under investigation. Officials are examining whether cracks that appeared after earthquake tremors on Tuesday evening led to the failure, and whether vibration from demolition work in an adjoining building played a role.

Are rescue operations still underway?

Yes. As of Thursday morning, about 75% of the debris had been cleared and teams were continuing to search for anyone who may still be trapped.

Sources