Chawri Bazaar building collapse: Death toll rises to 3 as third body recovered
Synopsis
A third body — identified as 40-year-old Pankaj Sharma from Bihar — was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed under-construction building in Delhi's Chawri Bazaar on Saturday, taking the death toll to three. Police have confirmed the construction was illegal, an FIR has been filed against the contractor, and MCD engineers have been suspended as rescue teams continue working through the debris.
Key Takeaways
The Chawri Bazaar building collapse death toll rose to three on 7 November 2026 after a third body was recovered.
The latest victim was identified as Pankaj Sharma, 40 , from Khagaria district, Bihar .
A total of five people have been retrieved — three dead and two injured ; both injured persons are stable.
Police confirmed the construction in the collapsed building was illegal and the structure was unsafe .
The MCD suspended its Junior Engineer and Assistant Engineer ; an FIR has been registered against the contractor.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta has assured a probe and strict action against those responsible.
The death toll in the Chawri Bazaar building collapse in New Delhi climbed to three on Saturday, 7 November, after rescue teams recovered another body from the debris of a three-storey under-construction structure that caved in two days earlier. Officials identified the latest victim as Pankaj Sharma, 40, a resident of Hanuman Nagar in Khagaria district, Bihar.
Rescue Operations and Casualties
Rescue officials confirmed that a total of five people have been retrieved from the rubble — three deceased and two injured. 'With this recovery, a total of five people have been rescued/recovered from the debris, including three deceased persons and two injured persons. Both injured persons have received medical treatment and are now stable,' rescue officials said. Operations at the site are still underway.
The building, located in Gali Sitara near Chawri Bazaar Metro Station, collapsed on Thursday. Authorities first received information about the incident at 9:50 am that day. Two bodies were recovered on Thursday itself, while one injured survivor was hospitalised. The third body — that of Pankaj Sharma — was pulled from the debris on Saturday.
Illegal Construction and Administrative Action
According to police, the construction work being carried out in the building was illegal, and the structure had been deemed unsafe. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) moved swiftly to suspend its Junior Engineer (JE) and Assistant Engineer (AE) responsible for the area. An FIR has been registered against the contractor in connection with the tragedy.
Notably, illegal and unauthorised construction in densely populated old Delhi localities has been a recurring concern. This collapse follows a pattern of building failures in congested urban corridors where oversight mechanisms have repeatedly been found wanting.
What the Government Said
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta assured that every possible effort would be made to evacuate those still trapped under the debris. She confirmed that an investigation is underway and stated that strict action would be taken against all those found responsible for the collapse.
Multi-Agency Response
A large-scale rescue operation was launched shortly after the collapse was reported, involving the Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The coordinated response continues as teams comb through what remains of the structure for any further survivors or victims.
With the investigation now underway and administrative accountability being pursued, all eyes will be on whether the MCD's enforcement mechanism faces deeper scrutiny in the wake of this tragedy.
Point of View
Yet work continued unchecked, points to enforcement gaps the MCD has struggled to close for years. Suspending two engineers and filing an FIR against the contractor is a standard procedural response; the harder accountability question is what inspection records existed, who signed off on site access, and whether the licenced contractor had a prior history of violations. Without answers to those questions, the administrative action risks being cosmetic.
NationPress
7 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have died in the Chawri Bazaar building collapse?
The death toll from the Chawri Bazaar building collapse in Delhi stands at three as of Saturday, 7 November. The third victim, identified as Pankaj Sharma, 40, from Bihar's Khagaria district, was recovered from the debris on Saturday.
When did the Chawri Bazaar building collapse occur?
The three-storey under-construction building collapsed on Thursday. Authorities received the first information about the incident at 9:50 am from Gali Sitara, near Chawri Bazaar Metro Station in New Delhi.
Was the construction in the collapsed building legal?
No. According to police, the construction work underway in the collapsed building was illegal and the structure had been declared unsafe. An FIR has been registered against the contractor.
What action has been taken after the Chawri Bazaar collapse?
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has suspended its Junior Engineer and Assistant Engineer for the area. An FIR has been filed against the contractor. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has assured a full investigation and strict action against those responsible.
Which agencies are involved in the rescue operation?
The rescue operation involves Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Operations were still underway as of Saturday, 7 November.
