Delhi wall collapse: Amid heavy rains, they only sought shelter but lost lives; how is any structure in city be so unsafe, asks family

NEW DELHI: What began as a routine visit to a gurdwara near Humayun's Tomb turned into tragedy for 23-year-old Monushca and her mother, Meena Arora (56). Caught in the sudden rain on their way back, the two sought shelter in a nearby mosque while trying to arrange for transport home.

Moments later, the roof collapsed, crushing them to death.The family learnt of the tragedy when the two failed to return home after several hours. Desperate, Monushca's brother tried calling. A police officer answered and asked the family to come to AIIMS to identify the bodies.

Sister Priya Khanna (35) recalled her last conversation with her mother. "I spoke to my mother that morning and knew that she was heading out with my sister.

Who knew this would happen?" she said, her voice breaking.Priya explained how the family was making plans together. "We had planned to go to Vrindavan for Janmashtmi on Saturday, but just the day before, this happened. Monushca's birthday is next month. She had completed her studies and was working for a while, and my mother was also looking for a suitable match for her. It was a new chapter in our lives. She was gone too soon," she said.

The family, she added, was struggling to come to terms with the loss. "How can such negligence happen? How is any structure in this city be so unsafe? Anything can happen, anything can fall," Priya said.The collapse also claimed the life of 36-year-old Moinuddin, a tailor and the sole breadwinner of his family. His wife, Afsan, said she now has no support to keep her household afloat. "I am managing only with the help of neighbours and the local community.

I only want my children to at least be able to go back to school," she said.Police have registered a case under sections 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings, etc), 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 106 (death due to negligence) of BNS.Police said they were examining the structural integrity of the building, which was at least 40 years old. They said responses are being sought from authorities to ascertain under whose jurisdiction the mosque falls.