Delhi Building Collapse: 1 Dead, Several Trapped As Five-Storey Boys' PG Crumbles In Satya Niketan | Videos

A 50-year-old five-storey building housing a boys' hostel collapsed in a congested bylane in Satya Niketan near Delhi University's South Campus on Sunday afternoon, killing one person and leaving several feared trapped under the debris, officials said.

Six people had been pulled from the rubble, with one brought dead to hospital and five rescued alive, police said. Two of the injured were in critical condition.

Local residents claimed around 40 to 50 people could still be trapped, though police said the exact number of people trapped or injured had not been established.

Repair Work Was Underway In Basement

The building, which had a basement and five upper floors and was being used as paying guest (PG) accommodation, collapsed around 1.30 pm while repair work was underway in the basement, a senior officer said.

Teams from Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), along with fire tenders and ambulances, launched rescue operations.

As rescuers searched through the debris, local residents and eyewitnesses joined the operation, using their hands and available tools to look for those trapped.

A video circulating on social media showed an unconscious youth trapped beneath a slab, with part of his face and one hand visible as people attempted to rescue him.

"A total of six people have been rescued and shifted to hospitals. Of them, two remain critical, and one was brought dead. A rescuer who was brought in has been discharged," a source at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said.

Congested Lanes Hamper Rescue Operation

The locality has narrow, congested bylanes lined with eateries and PG accommodations catering largely to students, making access difficult for rescue vehicles.

"The lanes are very congested, and it is difficult for rescue vehicles to reach here faster," a local resident said.

Senior police officers were supervising the operation. Police said the building was known as Hostel Daze and its owner was based in Gurugram.

"The exact number of persons trapped/injured is still not known at present. Further details will be shared as and when confirmed," Delhi Police said in a statement.

Police asked residents and onlookers to stay away from the site as crowds were hampering rescue operations. Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed to keep routes clear for ambulances.

BJP MLA Anil Sharma, who visited the site, said rescue teams were communicating with some of those trapped.

"We are even getting calls from those who are trapped inside. Teams are continuously in touch with those who are trapped," Sharma said.

Local Raises Questions Over Building's Foundation

Rajen Chhetri, a local resident who works with Delhi Police, said the building had around 15 rooms, with two to three students sharing each room.

"Most of the students staying here are from Keralam, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and study mainly at Motilal Nehru College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College and Sri Venkateswara College. They were paying around Rs 12,000 per bed," Chhetri said.

Chhetri, who said he had lived in the area for 20 years, claimed construction work had been underway in the basement and raised concerns about the foundation.

"I have been living here for the last 20 years. Some construction work was going on in the basement, where water had started accumulating. The foundation was also extremely weak," he said.

Delhi has witnessed incessant rain since Friday.

An eyewitness said the toll could have been higher had the collapse occurred on a working day because several students had gone home for the weekend.

"Very few were here," he said.

Residents Flag Condition Of PG Buildings

Local residents raised concerns about the condition and maintenance of buildings in the densely populated neighbourhood, where several houses have been converted into PG accommodations.

Priyanka, who said she had lived in the area for more than 20 years, said several buildings had been extended to five or six floors and converted into boys' PG accommodations.

"Buildings here are being constructed up to five-six floors. Many houses have been converted into boys' PGs, with the owners shifting elsewhere. They simply name the properties as PGs, take the rent online and leave the area without even checking back."

She also claimed the collapsed building had received little maintenance over the years.

"The PG that collapsed is over 20 years old, and in all these years, I have not seen any maintenance work being carried out. Since it was raining, most of the students were in their rooms, while some had gone home as it was the weekend," Priyanka said.