Four people died and 14 others sustained injuries when a five-storey building housing a slipper factory and residential accommodation for workers collapsed on Wednesday morning in a congested area in Bapa Nagar in central Delhi, police said.

Rescuers faced a tough time as they reached the site after navigating through the very narrow lanes and 18 people were pulled out of the rubble during an eight-hour operation. Police said heavy machines like cranes could not reach the site.

The Chief of Delhi Fire Service (DFS), Atul Garg, said even stretchers couldn’t be taken to the site. While sharing a video on X, Mr Garg stated that DFS personnel carried the victims on their backs.

A case under sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 290 (Negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings, etc) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered and further investigation is underway, the police said.

The main cause of the incident is suspected to be the leakage in the building but it has to be further investigated, an officer said.

The MCD, however, said the building had not been found to be under dangerous condition during the pre-monsoon survey.