A five-storey building housing a boys’ PG collapsed in south Delhi’s Satya Niketan area on Sunday afternoon, trapping several people under the rubble, officials said. So far, three people have been rescued and are reported to be in critical condition. Officials are assessing the situation and conducting a search at the site as part of the ongoing rescue operation.
The Delhi Fire Department received an alert regarding the incident at around 1:30pm, following which emergency personnel and rescue teams were mobilised to the location. Emergency response teams, including the Delhi Fire Services, NDRF, DDMA, Delhi Police, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence have been deployed to assess the situation and carry out search and rescue operations.
DUSU President Aryan Maan said, “Approximately 10-15 students have been rescued so far, though some are still trapped inside. We are in communication with them, and the entire NDRF team has arrived. I have spoken to the chief minister, and other teams are also on their way to assist the students. There are no reports of casualties yet. All the students are being taken to the hospital; there were about 15-20 students involved, and 10 have been rescued.”
An eyewitness said, “The building that collapsed is called ‘Hostel Daze’. Right next to it is another building that collapsed. ‘Hostel Daze’ is a dedicated boys’ PG; it was a five-story building. The adjacent building also collapsed… All the students who were inside their rooms got trapped under the rubble. We will only know the exact number of trapped students by checking the registration records.”
Expressing concern over the incident, CM Rekha tweeted, “Deeply concerned by the building collapse incident at Satya Niketan, RK Puram. Teams from DDMA, NDRF, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence are carrying out rescue operations on a war footing. The adjacent building has been vacated as a precautionary measure. Every possible effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped and provide immediate assistance to the affected families. The situation is being closely monitored, and all concerned agencies are working in coordination. The safety and well-being of every citizen remain our highest priority.”