Twelve injured as structure near Humayun’s Tomb collapses in Delhi

At least 12 people were injured after a portion of an under-construction structure near Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi collapsed. Authorities confirmed the main mausoleum was safe, and multiple rescue agencies were deployed to clear debris and assist victims

New Delhi: At least 12 people were injured on Friday evening after a structure being built near Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area collapsed, officials said.

Police said that 10 to 12 victims were rescued from the debris after a call regarding the incident was received at 3.55 pm. The injured were sent to different hospitals, including AIIMS Trauma Centre and LNJP Hospital.

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

“The Station House Officer and local staff reached the spot within five minutes and began the rescue operation. Soon after, fire personnel and CATS ambulances arrived, followed by NDRF teams,” a senior police officer said, adding that rescue efforts were still under way.

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

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.

Initial reports suggested that eight to nine people were feared trapped, but subsequent rescue efforts led to at least 11 being pulled out alive.

Officials said the collapse occurred in the peripheral structure and not the central mausoleum. The cause is yet to be ascertained, but preliminary checks indicate possible structural weakening due to recent rains.

“There has been no damage to Humayun’s Tomb. A new structure was being built near the monument; its portion collapsed, and some debris also fell on the walls of the tomb,” Ratish Nanda, conservation architect at the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is involved in the restoration of the tomb, said.

The Humayun’s Tomb complex has been the site of a long-standing partnership between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the AKTC.

Delhi Traffic Police have been instructed to keep routes to hospitals clear so that ambulances can move without obstruction.