Delhi Roof Collapse in New Usmanpur Kills Couple, Child Survives

August 3, 2026

New Delhi: A couple was killed after the roof of a ground-floor room collapsed at a house in H Block, Jai Prakash Nagar, under the New Usmanpur police station area in northeast Delhi. Their child survived the incident, officials said on Monday.

Couple trapped under debris, declared dead

According to officials and local residents, the roof collapsed at around 9:30 pm on Sunday. However, the Delhi Fire Services received information about the incident around 11:30 pm, following which rescue teams rushed to the spot.

The couple was pulled out from the debris and taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead. Their child escaped safely.

Residents raised concerns over building condition

Local residents alleged that the building was in a poor and unsafe condition and had shown signs of structural weakness for a long time.

A neighbour, Sonu, said the condition of the house was dangerous and that he had earlier advised the family to vacate the room due to safety concerns.

He said, “The condition of this house was very poor. The building was in a dangerous state. You can go further down the lane and see that the roofs of some other houses have also collapsed. I had advised them earlier to vacate the room because it was unsafe.”

Probe underway into cause of collapse

Police and civic authorities have started an investigation to determine the exact reason behind the roof collapse. Officials will also examine whether structural negligence or safety violations contributed to the tragedy.

The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety of old and poorly maintained buildings in Delhi, especially during the monsoon season when continuous rainfall can weaken vulnerable structures.

The tragedy comes weeks after another building collapse in Delhi’s Rohini Sector 16 in July, where at least three people were killed and one person was injured after an under-construction building collapsed following heavy rainfall.

Delhi Fire Services, along with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other emergency agencies, carried out rescue operations. Local residents also helped remove bricks, concrete slabs and iron rods while trying to rescue people trapped under the debris.