Burari house collapse toll 5, hunt on for survivors

NEW DELHI: In the early hours of Tuesday, as locals and rescuers in Burari combed through the debris to scan for any sign of life, they caught a glimpse of a faint light coming from a mobile phone. However, once they reached the spot and cleared the debris, they realised another life had been snuffed out.

The collapse at Burari, which claimed five lives, has led the authorities to carry out one of the longest rescue operations, lasting more than 36 hours. Rescue efforts proved to be a daunting task for the two teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and others comprising about 100 firefighters, besides policemen and locals, who worked round-the-clock for over 18 hours.

"This was a classic case of pancake collapse," a fire official said, explaining: "When a building collapses, the upper floors crush onto the lower floors, creating a layered, pancake-like effect, with each floor stacked on top of the other."

"Unlike most rescue operations, where buildings are partially collapsed with manageable debris, this incident presented a unique challenge. There was a lot of debris, and removing it was a painstakingly slow process," he added.

The rescue operation saw many bravehearts risking their lives. ASI Sudhir from Burari police station crawled through the debris, guided just by mobile flashlights and torches, and managed to pull out a survivor. He was helped by his team, including head constable Sandeep, Pardeep, Rahish and Sunil, who pulled out six victims.

Dharmender, a resident, along with two of his friends, managed to save four people, including children. "There was a narrow passage to enter the collapsed building, and there was a risk that the remaining structure could fall on me," he told TOI. "I saw a girl crying... while trying to keep her calm, I slowly removed the debris and pulled her out. We then rescued three more people with help from others," he added.

To search for those trapped deep inside, the NDRF personnel used special 'victim-locating cameras'. They also used two types of instruments - spade cutters and reciprocating saws - to cut through the debris and reach the survivors. Fire officials had to use gas and hydraulic cutters to retrieve the victims.

"We first manually removed the debris and then used hydraulic cutters to cut the iron rods embedded in it, ensuring the safety of both firefighters and victims," said a fire official.

Till Monday midnight, over a ton of debris was cleared and a dozen people were extracted. The congested lanes, however, proved to be a major obstacle for rescue and fire vehicles. "We couldn't use multiple JCBs. We also limited deploying equipment to avoid injuring people who might still be trapped inside," said the official.