Authorities suspect recent heavy rains and water seepage weakened the structure, which was outside the main mausoleum but inside the complex’s periphery.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, August 15, 2025 – What began as a day of national celebration ended in tragedy in the capital’s Nizamuddin area on Friday evening, when the roof of a two-room structure near the Dargah Sharif Patte Shah collapsed, killing six people and injuring several others. The incident occurred at around 3:51 PM within the peripheral premises of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Humayun’s Tomb complex, casting a shadow over Independence Day festivities.
According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), an emergency call was received at 3:55 PM, reporting that multiple people were trapped under debris. Within minutes, five fire tenders and 25 personnel rushed to the scene. The Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) also joined the rescue operation, working for hours to clear the rubble.
दिल्ली के निजामुद्दीन स्थित हुमायूं के मकबरे के पास एक दीवार का एक हिस्सा अचानक गिर गया। इस हादसे में अब तक छह लोग की मौत हो गई है। Via @abhishekdevlive pic.twitter.com/AUsU2RAOD0
— NBT Dilli (@NBTDilli) August 15, 2025
Structure outside main mausoleum
Officials clarified that the collapsed building—a single-storey dwelling adjoining the dargah—was not part of the 16th-century Mughal mausoleum itself, but was located inside its broader boundary. “There has been no damage to Humayun’s Tomb. A new structure being built near the tomb collapsed, with some debris falling onto the monument’s walls,” said Ratish Nanda, conservation architect at the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which partners with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on preservation efforts.
R.K. Patel, ASI’s Superintending Archaeologist, confirmed that the site of the collapse lies outside ASI-monitored property but within close proximity to the tomb’s boundary wall.
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District Magistrate Sarvan Kumar said the victims included residents from Nizamuddin, Mustafabad, and Zakir Nagar. Among them was 56-year-old Anita from Jangpura, whose son, Shivansh Saini, recalled receiving a brief phone call about a “wall collapse” before learning of her death at AIIMS Trauma Centre.
Nine injured persons were taken to AIIMS, where three women and two men were declared dead. Another victim died during treatment at RML Hospital. Four survivors—including a four-year-old child—remain under medical care.
Possible cause: Rain damage and seepage
Preliminary reports suggest that heavy monsoon rains in recent days may have weakened the structure’s roof through water seepage. Authorities have begun a formal investigation to determine whether poor construction practices, lack of maintenance, or illegal modifications played a role in the collapse.
Eyewitness accounts
Local worker Vishal Kumar, employed at Humayun’s Tomb, said he heard a sudden, deep rumbling before seeing dust and debris cloud the area. “I ran with my supervisor towards the sound and saw people buried under the roof. We helped pull out whoever we could until the rescue teams arrived,” he said.
The Delhi Traffic Police immediately cleared traffic routes for ambulances, enabling faster evacuation of the injured to hospitals.The collapse comes less than 24 hours after two other rain-related fatalities in Delhi—a motorcyclist killed by a falling tree in Kalkaji and two children crushed in a wall collapse in Vasant Vihar. These incidents highlight growing safety concerns about old and vulnerable structures in the city, particularly during the monsoon season.
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Humayun’s Tomb remains open
Despite the incident, the main Humayun’s Tomb monument remains open to visitors. Authorities stressed that no part of the mausoleum’s structure had been compromised. However, experts have called for stricter monitoring of all peripheral constructions near heritage sites, warning that unchecked encroachments or substandard buildings could pose serious risks in the future.
The Delhi government has ordered a technical inspection of nearby structures to assess their safety and prevent a repeat of Friday’s disaster.
