Six people, including three women, lost their lives and five others were injured on Friday when the wall and roof of two adjoining rooms at a dargah near Humayun’s Tomb collapsed in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area. The incident occurred around 3:30 pm at Dargah Sharif Patte Shah, which shares its boundary with the 16th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site Humayun’s Tomb.

According to officials, the two rooms—one used by the imam and the other as a resting space—were in a deteriorating condition. Continuous heavy rainfall over the past few days weakened the structure, leading to its collapse while around 15 people had taken shelter inside during a downpour. Among the deceased was 79-year-old Swaroop Chand. The injured included Md Shameem, Master Aryan, Gudiya, Rafat Parveen, and 65-year-old Rani.

After the collapse, rescue teams from Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Services, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) reached the spot. Twelve victims were pulled from the debris, nine of whom were rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where five died. One patient admitted to LNJP Hospital also succumbed to injuries. Another female patient was treated at RML Hospital. The imam was among the injured.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic, saying people had gathered for Friday prayers and sought shelter from the rain inside the imam’s room when the roof gave way. “I was only two steps away from entering the room when it collapsed,” said a local woman, who narrowly escaped. “We started pulling people out as soon as we could.”

Authorities clarified that the main structure of Humayun’s Tomb was not affected. Conservation architect Ratish Nanda from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture stated, “There has been no damage to the Humayun’s Tomb. The collapse occurred at a newly constructed structure near the tomb.”

The victims belonged to nearby areas such as Mustafabad and Zakir Nagar. Among those killed was Moin Uddin, 32, the sole breadwinner for his family, who had gone to offer Friday prayers. He is survived by his wife, a five-year-old son, and a three-year-old daughter.

Police have taken the DVR of the mosque for investigation and are questioning the caretakers. Civic agencies have been notified to examine the site further.