At least three people were killed and several others injured after a five-storey building housing a hostel collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon.
Several people, mostly believed to be students, are feared trapped beneath the rubble, with rescue operations underway. Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other emergency teams rushed to the site after receiving a PCR call at around 1:34 pm about the building collapse near Nanakpura Gurudwara.
DCP South West Amit Goel said the NDRF had also reached the spot and rescue and relief operations were in progress.
The building reportedly housed a hostel called ‘Hostel Daze’ and was owned by Azad Bansal, according to sources. Preliminary investigation suggests that ongoing renovation work and excavation in the basement may have weakened the building’s lower supports.
At least eight fire tenders were deployed as rescuers began removing the debris. Local residents also joined the operation, helping emergency teams search for survivors. Several vehicles parked near the building were damaged in the collapse.
Some people were rescued from the rubble and shifted to a nearby hospital. However, officials said the exact number of people trapped was not immediately known. “The exact number of persons trapped is not known at present. Two persons have been rescued so far,” DCP Goel said during the initial rescue operation.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said multiple agencies were working on a “war footing” to rescue those trapped. Teams from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, NDRF, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence were involved in the operation.
Gupta said the adjoining building had been evacuated as a precautionary measure and assured that the situation was being closely monitored. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed concern over the incident, particularly reports that Delhi University students were among those feared trapped.
In a post on X, Gandhi urged the NDRF, Delhi Fire Service and other agencies to make every possible effort to rescue those trapped and ensure that the injured receive immediate medical treatment. He added that Congress and NSUI workers were present at the site and ready to assist rescue personnel.
Gandhi also raised concerns about the shortage of hostel accommodation in colleges and universities, saying students are often forced to stay in overcrowded paying guest facilities. He stressed that student safety must not be compromised because of inadequate accommodation.
The incident has revived memories of a similar building collapse in Satya Niketan in 2022. The terrace of a three-storey house undergoing renovation collapsed at around 1:15 pm, killing two people and injuring several others. Six workers were trapped under the debris before rescue teams from the Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police and NDRF managed to pull them out.
The latest collapse has once again put the spotlight on building safety and structural risks associated with renovation and excavation work in Delhi’s densely populated areas.
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