4 days ago
Delhi: 6 killed in wall collapse near Humayun's Tomb, 5 injured
At least six people were crushed to death and five others injured after two adjoining rooms of a dargah collapsed in southeast Delhi's Nizamuddin East on Friday afternoon. The shrine, known locally as Dargah Shareef Patte Waale, stands adjacent to the Humayun's Tomb complex in south Delhi. NDRF, Delhi Police, and local administration personnel carry out rescue operations near Humayun's Tomb on Friday. (HT Photo)
The incident occurred around 3.55pm after heavy rains weakened the structure of the shrine, causing the roof and back wall of the rooms to cave in, according to police and fire officials.
Around a dozen devotees were under debris, as the shrine was packed due to it being a holiday on account of Independence Day, according to eyewitnesses and rescue officials.
Locals said that one of the rooms of the structure served as a waiting area for visitors seeking blessings and a tabeez (religious amulet) from the imam, who was in the adjacent chamber.
Deputy commissioner of police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said the shrine is located just outside the Humayun's Tomb boundary wall.
'We received a PCR call at 3.55pm reporting a wall collapse in which people were trapped inside. The SHO and staff reached immediately, launching rescue efforts alongside local volunteers,' he said.
By 5pm, locals and shrine staff had managed to pull out several injured persons, though others remained buried under heavy debris.
Police sealed the area — including parts of the Humayun's Tomb compound — and allowed entry only to civic agencies and rescue teams. Delhi Fire Services (DFS) deployed four fire tenders, while National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel joined the manual clearing of rubble.
In total, 11 people were rescued within two hours. Nine were rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre — three men, five women, and a four-year-old boy — while one was sent to Lok Nayak Hospital and another to RML Hospital. Six victims succumbed to injuries; three of them were women.
'All I could hear were screams'
Some locals alleged that fire services arrived 45-50 minutes late, delaying rescue.
'I had just entered the dargah. Everyone comes here to get the tabeez and meet the imam. My son was not feeling well and I wanted blessings. I saw it happen before my eyes. It was raining heavily. The roof collapsed first, then a wall. There was no escape route. All I could hear was screams. It could have been me…' said Geeta Kumar, who had entered the dargah moments before the collapse.
DFS divisional officer Mukesh Verma, however, countered that his team reached in about 30 minutes, but faced challenges bringing vehicles close to the site. 'The ceiling fell inward, trapping everyone. We also had to clear debris manually,' he said.
The back wall of the shrine was left in ruins after the collapse. Caretakers and locals worked frantically to extract those inside. HT tried speaking to the caretaker of the dargah, but he refused comment.
Families distraught
At AIIMS Trauma Centre, distraught families crowded corridors, searching for loved ones without knowing if they were alive.
Mohammad Moin, 32, of Zakir Nagar, died in the collapse. A father of two, he had gone to the dargah seeking blessings for health issues.
'I reached by 4.45pm and saw no fire services, only a few policemen. I was shouting my brother's name but felt completely helpless. Then I rushed to AIIMS, where I was told he had died,' said his brother Wasim. His friend Nadeem, who remained outside because the room was crowded, told HT that he could 'only hear screams' after the roof caved in.
Two other victims, Meena Arora, 56, and Monu Shah Arora, 24, died from suffocation and head injuries, fire officials said.
Another woman, Anita Saini of Bhogal, had gone alone to the shrine amid family difficulties. Her elder son, Shivang, said she left without telling him. 'We had a lot of issues in the family, and she believed the imam's tabeez and blessings could help. My father also died during the pandemic. I don't know how my brother and I will manage now… She meant everything to us'
Seventy-nine-year-old Swaroop Chand and his wife Rani had visited the shrine for blessings. Chand died in the collapse; Rani is under treatment at RML Hospital.
Around 8pm, their family members entered AIIMS Trauma Centre and started looking for Chand and his wife. 'They left in the afternoon saying they'd return in an hour. I never imagined this,' said their son Harish.
Rafat Parveen, another devotee, survived but suffered multiple injuries and breathing difficulties. Her husband, Aashiq, who was outside when the collapse happened, dragged locals to help free her after 30 minutes. 'We both went to the dargah together. I was standing outside and taking water while she was sitting inside. It all happened in seconds,' he said.
History and structure
Locals say the Patte Waale Dargah is over a century old. Historians note the shrine is linked in oral tradition to the Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, though its current structures – including the prayer and waiting rooms that collapsed on Friday – are estimated to be 60-80 years old.
Sohail Hashmi, an author and chronicler of Delhi, said the saint known as Patte Shah is mentioned in Sufis of Delhi and was believed to be a contemporary of Nizamuddin. 'His last rites are said to have been performed by Nizamuddin himself,' he noted.
An Archaeological Survey of India official confirmed the dargah is outside the ASI-protected area of Humayun's Tomb. ASI later said the Humayun's Tomb, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in 'perfect condition', and clarified that reports about the collapse does not pertain to the monument.
Police have launched an inquiry into the collapse, questioning the shrine's caretakers and examining structural safety. 'We will look at whether repairs were needed, and if permissions or inspections had been conducted,' DCP Tiwari said.
By nightfall, the debris was being cleared under floodlights, while families of victims waited outside hospitals for word on survivors.
