A pall of gloom descended on Zakir Nagar on Saturday after news spread that Mohammad Moinuddin, a young resident of Okhla, was among the six victims of the tragic roof collapse at the centuries-old dargah Sharif Patte Shah, located near the Humayun’s Tomb complex in Nizamuddin. The incident, which struck around 3:30 pm on Friday, left six dead and at least 15 others injured, sending shockwaves.
As per officials, a total 12 people rescued from the debris on Friday and rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Most of the victims were the visitors to the dargah.
Md Moinuddin, 32, who lived in Zakir Nagar’s Gali number 40, leaves behind two young children. His elderly relatives described the accident as a cruel blow to the family. “He told my sister, ‘I’ll be back in a little while.’ But he never returned,” said his brother-in-law.
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His maternal uncle, holding one of the children, said: “Now the kids are left without a father. He was the only earning member. We can only hope the government comes forward to help them.”
As grieving relatives and close friends assembled in Zakir Nagar, they recounted the Nizamuddin tragic story to Mahmood Ahmed, who had arrived at the scene to document their voices.
According to eyewitnesses, Moinuddin had gone to the Nizamuddin dargah soon after offering the Friday prayers. “He went to meet a Maulana. He had just sat inside for barely two minutes when the roof and wall suddenly collapsed,” recalled a local relative.
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Heavy rain had reportedly weakened the old structure. “We saw that behind the wall which fell, rainwater had accumulated. The wall was old and weak. Once it gave way, the roof collapsed on those sitting below,” an eyewitness said.
Mohammad Wasim, one of the first to reach the site, said: “We got a call that the roof had collapsed. We rushed and started pulling people out with our bare hands. At least 10–12 people were rescued by locals before any official help arrived.”
Another friend, Nadeem, who had gone with Moinuddin to the dargah that day, narrated the final moments: “He told me, ‘You go inside, I’ll wait outside.’ Then he went in, sat near a room, and was on his phone. Within 5–7 minutes, the roof collapsed. He was trapped inside. It took almost an hour to pull him out.”
Locals said the structure was old and weakened by rainwater seepage.
“The wall at the back broke first. After that the roof lost balance and fell. The mud walls were damp due to rain. That’s why the accident happened,” said another eyewitness.
Community members stressed the urgent need for government assistance to Moinuddin’s children. “He was the only breadwinner. Now his children have no one. We appeal to the authorities to help them in this difficult time,” a grieving relative said.
The HT reported that in a statement from DCP Southeast said: “Nine of them, were admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre, of which were three male, five female and one male child aged 4 years. One male patient was admitted to LNJP Hospital and one female patient was admitted to RML Hospital.”
The official said one female came out unhurt from the collapse and was not taken to any hospital. “Of these, so far, reports of death of six of the above victims have been received from the respective hospitals, 3 male and 3 female,” the DCP shared further. Speaking to HT, DCP southeast shared that the five of the deceased included two males aged 79 and 35 years old, and three females aged 42, 40 and 40 years old.
Following the distress call, Delhi Police, fire services and NDRF officials reached the spot. According to a report by ANI, Delhi Police rescued 11 people from the site and took them to nearby hospitals—AIIMS and Lok Nayak Hospital for treatment.
“Eleven people have been rescued from the site of the incident and taken to a nearby hospital. The search operation is still underway,” the Delhi police was quoted as saying by ANI.
Nadeem who had gone with Moinuddin to Nizamuddin told Mahmood that he was with him. “He said let’s go out for a bit. We reached the dargah from the back side. We were waiting outside when a man cleaning the place told us to go inside. I said you go, I’ll wait here. They had gone to meet someone inside, maybe a Maulana. About 9–10 people went into the room near the dargah. Around 5 minutes later, the roof collapsed.”
“The room was small, around 9X10. All 9–10 people were inside. Someone important was supposed to come, maybe a Maulana. Then the accident happened. The wall broke from behind, the structure was very old. When the wall gave way, the roof collapsed.”
Moinuddin, a cloth trader by profession, hailed originally from Nizamuddin but had made Zakir Nagar his home for many years, building both his livelihood and family life in the bustling lanes of Okhla.
Moinuddin died on the spot, said his relatives. “His body was recovered after almost an hour. When the news reached here, people rushed there, and only then was he pulled out. Nobody else was rescuing; only the families themselves were trying. Others were just making videos, watching, or avoiding the mud and dirt,” said a resident, who is well aware of the incident.
A neighbour told The OT that Moinuddin originally hailed from Nizamuddin, but had sold his house there years ago to fund his father’s medical treatment. “Since then, he had settled in Zakir Nagar in a rented house. Both his parents have since passed away, and today he leaves behind a grieving wife and two young children, with no one left to shoulder the family’s responsibility,” he said.
The Nizamuddin dargah is a place where devotees usually go to offer prayers and seek the blessings of revered scholars. Moinuddin, too, had gone there with a friend, unaware that tragedy awaited him. The roof collapse cut short his life, leaving his family and community in shock. On Saturday night, he was laid to rest at the Batla House graveyard, where residents gathered to bid him a tearful farewell.
