New Delhi, April 19: At least four people have died and around 12 are feared trapped after a four-storey building collapsed in the Mustafabad area of Delhi in the early hours of Saturday, officials said.

The incident occurred around 3 a.m., following intense overnight rainfall and thunderstorms that hit several parts of the city.

Sandeep Lamba, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East District), said, “Four among the 14 rescued succumbed to their injuries… The building was four floor high. Rescue operations are ongoing, and eight to ten people are still feared trapped.”

Providing an update from the ground, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) official Mohan Shaheedi said, “Around 12 people are feared trapped under the debris, including 9 adults and 3 children. According to information from local sources, 6 people have been rescued so far and shifted to the hospital. Two NDRF teams are present at the site, supported by Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, and volunteers.”

He added, “Authorities are identifying cavities and possible locations under the debris where survivors may be trapped. Technical searches are underway using rescue dogs to detect any signs of life. If any indication is found, special focus is given to that area. The operation is highly challenging and is being carried out with the utmost care.”

Teams from the NDRF, Delhi Police, Fire Services, and local volunteers continue to work tirelessly at the site.

The area has been sealed off as the rescue operation enters a critical phase. The exact cause of the collapse will be investigated once the rescue efforts conclude. Rescue operations are underway.

The house collapse incident occurred just hours after a sudden shift in Delhi’s weather on Friday night when heavy rainfall and thunderstorms lashed several parts of the city.

New Delhi, April 19: BJP leader and actor Mithun Chakraborty strongly criticised the West Bengal government over the recent violence in Murshidabad in which three people were killed, alleging targeted attacks against the Hindu community and remarked that they have become refugees.

Speaking to Media, Chakraborty remarked, “Hindus have become refugees in Bengal. Bullying and muscle power is running everywhere here. We don’t want any riots, we don’t want any conflict. We have always demanded fair elections, but they simply don’t allow it.”

When asked whether Hindus were being deliberately targeted in Bengal, Chakraborty responded, “The Waqf Act is just an excuse. There’s a different agenda behind them. The new Waqf Act is meant for our Muslim brothers and sisters, but what’s really happening is that political leaders have grabbed land for their own use, some have built godowns, some have rented them out for profit. If this money had gone to support the Muslim community, to help their women, it would have been something else. But instead, the leaders are enjoying it themselves.”

He further added, “Hindus have been displaced, their homes destroyed. They never opposed anyone, they didn’t protest, yet their houses were burned and ruined. Now, they’re surviving on khichdi in temporary shelters. They’ve been made homeless. What was their fault?”

Responding to the question of whether Muslims are being given a free hand under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government, Chakraborty claimed, “If Madam (Mamata Banerjee) wants, she can stop all this in one day. But she hasn’t taken any strict action against even one person yet. The situation is such that now, Sanatani Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, none of them will vote for this party.

“Their traditional vote bank is shifting, so to keep their core voters happy, they’re allowing these things to happen. Even if someone dies, it doesn’t matter to them.”

This development comes amid heightened political tension in the state following the April 11 violence in Murshidabad’s Dhulian area.

The unrest erupted during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to several others.

The incident triggered a political storm, with both the state and central leadership trading accusations.

Patna, April 19: After the first Coordination Committee meeting of the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) was held, preparations are now in full swing for the second round of discussions, which will take place on April 24 at the Congress state headquarters, Sadaqat Ashram, in Patna.

The meeting will be attended by the Coordination Committee Chairman Tejashwi Yadav, State Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru, State Congress President Rajesh Ram, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) Chief Mukesh Sahani, and representatives of the Left parties, including CPI-ML, CPI, and CPI-M.

According to Congress sources, this meeting will focus on preparations for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, strategising a joint campaign across the state and launching a mass movement against the state government starting in May, with joint rallies and programmes planned across districts.

While the final seat-sharing formula will not be determined in this meeting, parties are expected to present their initial seat demands, paving the way for negotiations.

The Vikassheel Insaan Party, which was not part of the Grand Alliance in the 2020 Assembly elections, is now included — necessitating an adjustment in the previous seat-sharing arrangement.

As per the seat-sharing formula among the constituent parties of the Grand Alliance in 2020, RJD contested on 144 seats, Congress: 70, CPI-ML: 19, CPI: 6 and CPI(M): 4.

As the VIP is included in the Grand Alliance, their seats are expected to reduce.

A Congress leader confirmed that no decision will be taken on the chief ministerial face in the upcoming meeting, reiterating the party’s stance, as expressed by Krishna Allavaru during the April 17 session.

However, RJD leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and state spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari, have continued to assert that Tejashwi Yadav will be the chief ministerial face of the Grand Alliance.

Their remarks made a day after the April 17 meeting, are being seen as an indirect pushback to Allavaru’s neutral stand.

Despite the pressure, the Congress maintains its position that the CM candidate will be decided at a later stage, possibly closer to the upcoming Assembly elections.

The April 24 meeting is expected to lay the groundwork for unified campaign efforts while highlighting the emerging tussle over leadership projection within the alliance.