Tragic Collapse Near Humayun's Tomb: Multiple Injuries Reported

Incident Overview

New Delhi: On Friday evening, a construction site near Humayun's Tomb in the Nizamuddin area of Delhi experienced a structural failure, resulting in injuries to at least 12 individuals, according to officials.

Emergency services received a distress call at 3:55 PM, leading to the rescue of 10 to 12 individuals from the rubble. The injured were transported to various medical facilities, including AIIMS Trauma and LNJP hospitals.

A coordinated response from multiple agencies, such as the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), was initiated following the incident.

A senior police official reported that local officers arrived within five minutes to commence rescue operations. Firefighters and CATS ambulances soon joined the efforts, with NDRF also participating in the ongoing rescue.

Initially, it was reported that a section of a dome at the tomb had collapsed, prompting the immediate dispatch of five fire engines to the scene.

Authorities later clarified that the incident did not involve the main dome of the historic 16th-century site but rather a smaller structure within the complex.

Humayun's Tomb, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracts numerous visitors daily, both domestic and international.

Early reports indicated that eight to nine individuals might have been trapped under the debris, but subsequent rescue operations successfully extracted at least 11 people.

Officials confirmed that the collapse occurred in a peripheral area and not the central mausoleum. The cause of the incident is still under investigation, although initial assessments suggest structural issues may have arisen due to recent rainfall.

"There has been no damage to Humayun's Tomb itself. A new structure was under construction nearby, and part of it collapsed, affecting the walls of the tomb," stated Ratish Nanda, a conservation architect with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which oversees the restoration of the site.

The Humayun's Tomb complex has been a collaborative project between the Archaeological Survey of India and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

Delhi Traffic Police have been instructed to ensure that routes to hospitals remain unobstructed for ambulances.