Five killed as wall of dargah near Humayun’s Tomb collapses in Delhi

Five people were killed and four injured after a wall of a dargah near Humayun's Tomb in Delhi’s Nizamuddin collapsed during rain. Rescue teams recovered 10 to 12 victims. Authorities confirmed the main monument remained undamaged

New Delhi: Five people were killed and four others injured on Friday evening after a wall of a dargah near Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area collapsed, police said.

A total of nine injured persons were sent to AIIMS Trauma Centre and one was rushed to LNJP Hospital, they said.

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“So far, we have learned that five people who were under treatment at AIIMS Trauma Centre died and others are still under treatment. We have cordoned off the area,” Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar Jain told reporters.

He said that the people were visiting the dargah for Friday prayers and were sitting inside the room due to rain when the incident took place.

The rescue operation has been completed, police said, adding that a total of 10 to 12 victims were rescued from the debris after a call regarding the incident was received at 3.55 pm.

Multiple rescue agencies, including the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), Delhi Police, NDRF and Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), were pressed into service following the incident.

“The Station House Officer and local staff reached there within five minutes and started the rescue. Some time later, fire personnel and CATS ambulances also reached the spot. NDRF also joined the rescue efforts,” a senior police officer said.

A senior DFS official had initially said that a call regarding the collapse of a portion of a dome at the tomb was received, after which five fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately.

Authorities clarified that the incident did not involve the main dome of the 16th-century monument but a smaller room within its premises.

Vishal Kumar, an eyewitness, told PTI, “I work at Humayun’s Tomb. When we heard the noise, my supervisor came running. We called for people and the administration. Slowly, we took out the people who were trapped.”

“There were at least 10 to 12 people. The Imam was also there and he is among the injured. I have taken out at least eight to nine people,” he said.

A female eyewitness said, “I was standing outside and was about to enter the room, just two steps away from it. As it started raining, everyone went inside to take shelter.”

“Just then, the wall collapsed. After that, I started shouting for help, but there was no one around. I kept shouting, and then some people from nearby came and helped us rescue everyone trapped inside,” she said.

Humayun’s Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a major tourist attraction in the national capital and is visited daily by hundreds of domestic and foreign visitors.

“There has been no damage to Humayun’s Tomb. A new structure was being built near the tomb, a portion of which collapsed, and some of it also fell onto the walls of the tomb,” Ratish Nanda, conservation architect at Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), the organisation behind the restoration of Humayun’s Tomb, said.

The Humayun’s Tomb complex has been the site of a long-standing partnership between the Archaeological Survey of India and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.