A building collapsed in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazar, leaving residents shaken by the sudden incident. Soha Ali, a long-time neighbour, said, “It felt like an earthquake had struck.” Many locals did not hear the crash due to narrow lanes and construction noise, only realising the danger after seeing the commotion.
The residents in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazar have recalled tremors and sirens as a building collapses.
“I was sitting on my bed when I suddenly felt strong jerks and vibrations. It felt like an earthquake had struck. I immediately jumped off the bed and rushed out of my room. I asked my husband if he had felt it too, but he said he hadn’t. I checked with others, but nobody seemed to have felt anything. I let it be, only to later discover that a building had collapsed right next door,” said Soha Ali, who has lived in an adjacent building for the past 35 years.
She said she had been noticing construction workers moving in and out of the building over the past few months.
Another woman living in the neighbourhood, who did not wish to be identified, said she was alerted to the incident by the sound of ambulance sirens and the commotion outside.
“I did not feel any vibrations, but when I heard the sirens and people rushing about, I stepped out to find out what had happened and asked my neighbours,” she said.
Having moved into the neighbourhood only three months ago, she said the incident had left her apprehensive about the safety of buildings in the area.
Several residents said the collapse itself was not immediately audible to many in the neighbourhood, as the building was located deep inside a narrow, congested lane. The regular din of construction machinery and other activity in the densely populated area also meant that the sounds from the site did not particularly draw their attention.
Many initially assumed it was routine construction work and realised something was amiss only when they saw people gathering and rushing towards the spot, or were alerted by neighbours and other locals about the collapse.