A 100-feet tall mobile tower collapsed in south Delhi's Safdarjung Enclave early Sunday due to strong winds and rain, police said. No one was injured due to the collapse, they added. According to the residents of Block B2, the incident occurred around 4 am when strong winds accompanied by rain hit the area.
Former AAP MLA from Malviya Nagar, Somnath Bharti, visited the site later and interacted with the residents. "A mobile tower, erected in B2 Safdarjung Enclave in spite of heavy protests by the residents and myself, fell yesterday night. What if this had fallen in day time or towards the buildings of B2? Such callousness is criminal!," Bharti said in a post on X.
He targeted the Delhi government under the Bharatiya Janata Party after a mobile tower collapsed in the Safdarjung Enclave due to overnight rain, fearing there would have been loss of lives in case the incident had taken place in a residential area.
Speaking to the media, Bharti said, “It is sad the way the incident occurred, but it is fortunate the mobile tower did not fall in the residential area. Mrs Kapoor’s house is just behind the tower; if it fell in that direction, the loss of lives and property cannot even be imagined. If it had happened in the daytime, many people would have died.”
"These mobile towers have been illegally installed. People have been requesting, and I even visited the MCD with them, but they did not listen to us. We said that it is a residential area… MLA, MP, MCD and Police did not listen. You have the government in the Centre, state and MCD If you won’t listen, where will the people go?
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The AAP leader said that they had taken up the issue with the top authorities, but to no avail and demanded action against the people responsible for the incident.
“Today, we demand action and an FIR against the people responsible. It is an attempt to murder…Mobile towers should not be installed in areas of human habitation,” he told the media.
Resident Meenu Kapoor told the media, “Our house is just behind where the tower fell at 4 AM. It’s God’s grace that it fell away; otherwise, anything would have happened to my family. We ask the government to remove the towers or let them be in the way of people, then they will realise. They lied to us, saying that a street light is being installed.”
A mobile tower in Safdarjung Enclave fell last night as the parts of the National Capital received gusty winds and heavy rainfall on Saturday overnight. Delhi received a welcome shower of relief on Sunday from the recent heatwave. Parts of Delhi experienced rainfall, bringing down temperatures and improving air quality. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a severe thunderstorm and strong wind alert for the city, warning residents to stay indoors.
According to the IMD, “a moderate to intense spell of rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning, and squally winds reaching speeds of 80-100 kmph” swept through the capital during the early hours. Visuals from Krishi Bhavan, Rafi Marg, and Udyog Bhawan showed heavy rain accompanied by strong winds lashing the national capital, bringing respite from the heat.
Two thundersqualls along with hailstorm activity were recorded at Safdarjung between 0348 to 0350 hrs IST and 0358 to 0400 hrs IST. The first squall saw gusty winds reaching 82 kmph, while the second saw a peak wind speed of 104 kmph, the IMD said.
The weather department urged residents to take precautions. “Stay indoors and avoid travel unless necessary,” the IMD advisory said, as flying debris and low visibility posed risks on the roads. However, the intense wind and rain also disrupted early morning traffic, with waterlogging reported in several low-lying areas.
Earlier this week, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a warning that Delhi NCR may experience heatwave-like conditions with temperatures potentially exceeding 45°C.
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