New Delhi: Three people have died and five others are in critical condition after a five-storey building used as a boys’ paying guest accommodation collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area on Sunday afternoon.
The building came down around 1:30 pm near Delhi University’s South Campus, leaving several people trapped under the rubble. Rescue teams have been working through the debris for hours, with Delhi Police, NDRF, Delhi Fire Service, DDMA, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence personnel involved in the operation.
Police said the building was around 40 to 50 years old and had a basement along with five upper floors. It was being used as a PG for students. Repair work was underway in the basement when the structure collapsed.
Nine people had been pulled out of the debris by the evening, according to police. One of them was brought dead to hospital and two others later died during treatment. Five rescued people were in critical condition, while a rescuer who suffered injuries was discharged.
The number of people still trapped has not been confirmed. Local residents said several students could remain under the debris, but officials were still trying to establish the exact number through the records of people staying at the PG.
The rescue has been difficult because Satya Niketan is a crowded area with narrow lanes and many buildings used as student accommodation. Ambulances and rescue vehicles have had to work through the congested surroundings while teams continue clearing the collapsed structure.
People living nearby rushed towards the building soon after it came down. Some joined the rescue effort before specialised teams reached deeper sections of the rubble. Witnesses described hearing a loud sound followed by dust and cries for help from inside the collapsed structure.
The area is close to Delhi University’s South Campus and has a large student population. Many students live in paying guest facilities and rented rooms in the surrounding streets, making the condition and safety of older buildings an immediate concern for residents.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the site and said the adjacent building had been evacuated as a precaution. She said teams from several agencies were working together to rescue those still trapped and provide assistance to the affected families.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke with the Delhi chief minister, the Delhi Police commissioner and the NDRF director general to review the situation. He expressed grief over the deaths and said rescue and medical assistance were being provided.
The cause of the collapse has not yet been established. Repair work in the basement is one of the circumstances being examined.
Some local residents have also raised concerns about water collecting in the basement after several days of rain and the condition of older buildings in the area. These claims have not yet been established as the cause of the collapse.
The incident has also brought fresh attention to the growing number of residential buildings being used as PG accommodation in parts of Delhi. In Satya Niketan, several houses have been converted into student accommodation as demand for rooms near university campuses has grown.
For now, however, the focus remains under the rubble.
Rescue teams are continuing to remove debris carefully in the hope of reaching anyone who may still be alive. The exact number of people inside the building at the time of the collapse is still being worked out, and officials have cautioned that the situation remains fluid.
For families waiting for news and for students still searching for friends, the hours ahead will depend on what rescuers find beneath the concrete and broken walls.
The search is continuing.
