The search for people trapped under the debris continued throughout the night after the five-storey PG building collapsed in Delhi's Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon.
News agency ANI quoted AIIMS as saying that the death toll in the accident has reached 6.
According to AIIMS, 10 people were brought to the trauma center, out of which five had already died. One seriously injured person later died.
Three people were undergoing treatment and one injured person was released from hospital with minor injuries.
How did the rescue operation go on throughout the night?
Most of the students lived in the building that collapsed.
After the building collapse, teams of Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), Delhi Disaster Management Authority and CATS reached the spot.
According to Delhi Police, teams of Police, NDRF, Delhi Fire Service and DDMA reached the spot with fire tenders and CATS ambulance and started the rescue operation. Joint Commissioner of Police, DCP South-West and Additional DCP were monitoring the operation.
According to PTI, two NDRF teams were engaged in the rescue operation. Cylinders were also sent to supply oxygen to the people trapped under the debris.
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Local people also got involved in the initial rescue operation and were trying to remove the debris with their hands and available tools.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday evening that 11 people have been rescued from the debris. He said that all concerned agencies are engaged in the rescue operation.
Help of NDRF sniffer dogs is being taken to search for people buried under the debris.
Contact people trapped in the debris on phone
During the rescue operation, information about calls from some people trapped under the debris also came to light.
According to PTI, BJP MLA Anil Sharma, who was present at the spot, said that calls were coming from people trapped in the debris and rescue teams were in touch with them.
A police officer also said that calls were coming from the people trapped in the debris and the rescue team was in constant touch with them.
What happened?
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A five-storey PG building had collapsed in Delhi's Satya Niketan Market area on Sunday afternoon. There is a possibility that many people are still buried there.
Delhi's Additional DCP Abhimanyu Poswal told reporters, "Information about the owner of the building is being extracted. We have all the information and he will be arrested soon. A case of negligence will be registered."
He also said that till Sunday evening, 9 children had been rescued from the debris.
Poswal said, "One of the rescued children said that there were 15-16 children inside, although there is no confirmed information yet. Relief and rescue operations are still going on."
On the other hand, NDRF IG NS Bundela had said, "People are being evacuated from the upper floors of the five-storey building. It is very important to safely evacuate those who are alive. Therefore, this operation will take some time."
Delhi Police issued a statement saying, "Local inquiry revealed that it was a 40-50 year old building, which had a basement and five upper floors. It was being used as a PG hostel. At the time of the incident, renovation work was going on in the basement."
The accident happened near Shiv Temple located in Moti Bagh-2. Eyewitnesses told BBC correspondent Shubh Rana that mostly students live in this area and PGs run in many buildings.
On behalf of Delhi government, Centralized Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) nodal officer Balraj Singh told news agency ANI that it is being told that there is a possibility of 20 to 30 casualties. 17 ambulances have been deployed at the spot."
BJP MLA Anil Sharma, who reached the spot shortly after the incident, said, "Some students are also calling from inside and it seems that some more people are still trapped inside."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta have expressed condolences and said to provide all possible help in relief and rescue operations.
Whereas Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Chandrashekhar Azad, MP Pappu Yadav, former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and many Aam Aadmi Party leaders have reacted and demanded action against those responsible.
What did the eyewitnesses say?
According to news agency ANI, Delhi Fire Department received information about the building collapse at around 1.30 pm. As soon as the information was received, fire brigade teams reached the spot and started relief and rescue operations.
When the building collapsed, a loud explosion was heard in the area.
An eyewitness student sitting in a nearby shop told news agency ANI that everyone ran outside as soon as they heard the sound of the explosion.
He said, "Suddenly a sound like an earthquake was heard. We immediately ran outside. There was a lot of smoke and dust. The entire building had collapsed."
"Sounds are still coming from inside the debris. Children are shouting, 'Save us, save us!'... There are at least 25-30 children. There was a PG for boys and girls nearby."
That student told that renovation work was going on in the basement of this building.
"These buildings have been given on a 100-year lease. To increase their income, they were building basements below. They strengthened the upper building, but the pillars below were weak. Due to which the building collapsed."
The student said, "Many laborers were working in the basement, all of them have been buried. Besides, there were street vendors selling fruits etc. in front of the building, they have also been buried."
Another eyewitness student told ANI, "This is a building named 'Hostel Days'. Right next to it, another PG building has also collapsed. 'Hostel Days' is a PG built for boys. It was a five-storey building. The building next to it has also collapsed. Two more buildings next to it were shaking. PGs run in these too. Their entrances have been blocked by the debris."
"All the children who were inside their rooms were buried under the debris. Fire and rescue teams have been working on the spot for about 15-20 minutes since the building collapsed. Many children are somehow being pulled out."
'The building collapsed due to digging in the basement'
After the incident, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reached the spot. He said that excavation was going on in the basement of the building, due to which the pillars shook and the building collapsed.
CM Rekha Gupta told the media, "11 people have been rescued. The most important thing for us is to save the lives of those children who are probably still trapped inside. Whoever is responsible for this accident, whether it is the owner of the building or any official, action will be taken against him."
Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi wrote on Instagram, "The news of the building collapse in Satya Niketan, Moti Bagh, Delhi is very sad and worrying. The possibility of many people including students being buried under the debris is very disturbing."
He has demanded from the government to conduct a high-level investigation into this accident and ensure strict action against those responsible for negligence.
Congress' student organization NSUI has expressed apprehension that many students of Delhi University may be buried under the debris of the building. NSUI wrote in a post on X, "Every student and person should be evacuated safely and this incident should be impartially investigated and those responsible should be held accountable."
What did the leaders including PM Modi say
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah expressed grief over the accident and said that the rescue operation is going on.
A statement from PM Modi has been issued on the PMO's
He wrote in
Home Minister Amit Shah wrote, "The local administration and NDRF teams are carrying out rescue operations in coordination. All necessary medical aid is being given to the injured. I pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured."
Rahul Gandhi wrote on social media platform
Abhijeet Deepke accused of negligence
Soon after the incident, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Deepke shared a video on social media regarding relief and rescue.
He wrote, "Students are buried under the debris and local people are trying to save people with their hands. Not a single person from the administration is visible. When every minute is precious to save lives, where is the administration? How long will all this continue?"
Abhijit Deepke wrote in another post, "Yesterday the PM visited DU, gave a political speech and also used the word 'mindless Naxal', while he talked very little about the poor condition of our education system. Today a hostel building has collapsed in the South Campus and it is feared that students may be trapped under the debris. The number of people who have lost their lives is not known yet."
Aam Aadmi Party leader and former minister in the Delhi government, Saurabh Bhardwaj, while sharing a video on his
"The transfer rate of executive engineer in the building department of MCD is Rs 1.25 crore. So this is not going to stop. This is the same story as the building collapse in Saket. Crores of rupees will once again be recovered from businessmen, gyms, hotels and hospitals in the name of audit. Nothing will change."
