A building collapse incident occurred in South Delhi, India on Sunday (September 6th), resulting in at least 7 deaths. Rescue teams are still searching through the debris, with officials stating that some of those trapped had made phone calls for help.
Local media reported that on Monday, rescue teams continued to use heavy machinery to dig through the rubble. So far, they have rescued 12 people from the debris, with 7 fatalities among those taken to the hospital.
The incident took place around 1 pm on Sunday in Satya Niketan, a 5-story building in South Delhi which suddenly collapsed. The building had one underground level and five above ground, serving as a student dormitory and had a history of 55 years. The building is not far from Delhi University’s South Campus, which houses five colleges.
Currently, it is unclear how many people were inside the building and whether there are still individuals trapped under the rubble. Witnesses on Sunday told local media agency ANI that there were around twenty to thirty people inside the building, but officials have not disclosed specific numbers.
Hospital officials have not revealed whether the casualties include students, local residents, or workers who were in the basement at the time of the collapse.
On Sunday, a local councilor at the scene stated that some trapped students had managed to make phone calls for help from under the debris.
A witness who was at a nearby shop during the incident told ANI that the sound of the building collapse was like “the rumbling of an earthquake”.
“We rushed out immediately; there was smoke everywhere. The whole building collapsed. They found some bodies of the deceased and rescued 4 students who were still breathing,” he said. He could hear students shouting from under the rubble, “Save us, save us!”
Delhi’s Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, stated on Monday that the building named “Hostel Daze” collapsed due to “water accumulation in the basement along with ongoing repair work.”
Gupta mentioned that “approximately 80% of the debris has been cleared” from the structure, with only remnants of the basement remaining. She added that, as a precautionary measure, personnel from the adjacent building have been evacuated.
“We are doing everything possible to safely rescue those trapped,” she said.
Following the collapse of the building on Sunday, images from the scene showed bricks and shattered cement columns piled up. Police, rescue teams, and local residents are searching for any survivors trapped.
Gupta mentioned that the building owner has been arrested, and five senior officials from the Delhi Municipal Corporation have been suspended.
An official told local media agency PTI that the building owner, Hariram Gupta, was arrested in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, approximately 25 hours after the collapse, and further investigations related to the case are underway.
The owner of a nearby shop told ANI that the building had a lease term of 100 years, and the tenants had conducted excavation work in the basement to expand the dormitory and increase revenue.
During the trial of the building collapse case at the Delhi High Court, severe criticism was directed at the authorities, emphasizing that the government “cannot evade responsibility”.
The court pointed out that around 50 young students, who were about to embark on their life journey, were affected by the incident and warned that there could still be individuals trapped under the debris, describing the event as “extremely tragic”.
The court stressed that the authorities must immediately enhance the effectiveness of the rescue and relief work and take all possible measures to ensure the safety of the students.