Five-storey building collapses in South-West Delhi's Satya Niketan

A five-storey building collapsed in Satya Niketan area in South-West Delhi on Sunday, leaving one dead and three people critically injured, police sources told PTI. Several others were feared trapped under the debris, officials from Delhi Fire Service said.

Students are being rescued by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials.

Witnesses at the scene estimated that more than 15 people may be trapped under the rubble, but this figure has not been officially confirmed yet. Speaking to ANI, Balraj Singh, Nodal Officer for CATS (Centralised Accident and Trauma Services) informed that five people have so far been shifted to AIIMS Trauma Centre. He estimated 25-30 casualties in the Delhi building collapse incident.

The building housed a boys' PG in Satya Niketan and is close to the heart of Delhi University's South Campus. The rescued have been taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre and were stated to be in critical condition.

The fire department received an alert around 1:30 PM. Eight fire tenders and police teams were rushed to the spot. Rescue operations are underway as fire department teams have reached the spot of building collapse in Delhi.

Emergency personnel reached the building collapse site and began efforts to ascertain the number of people trapped and the extent of damage.

Sharma visited the accident site on Sunday afternoon. This is a deeply tragic incident, he told reporters. "There could be nothing more heartbreaking. Students come here from various places to study and stay in PGs in this building; the structure has collapsed. While it is difficult to state the exact number—whether there are five, ten, or twenty students—we know for certain that students are trapped inside. Two students have already been rescued by the NDRF, MCD," he said.

The MLA revealed that some students even made calls from within the debris, and it is feared that others are trapped inside. "...so rescue efforts are ongoing. We are praying to God, and the Chief Minister has dispatched a full team here. The entire government is deeply concerned and focused on ensuring the students are rescued—that is our primary objective," he added.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta issued a statement on the building collapse incident at Satya Niketan, RK Puram. Deeply concerned by the building collapse incident at Satya Niketan, RK Puram, she said, adding that teams from DDMA, NDRF, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence are carrying out rescue operations on a war footing. The authorities have vacated the adjacent building 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," Gupta said. Delhi minister Ashish Sood also expressed deep concern about the building collapse near Satya Niketan in South-West Delhi.

An eyewitness described the sound of the building collapse near Satya Niketan in South-West Delhi like "the rumble of an earthquake." "We were sitting inside it when we suddenly heard a sound—like the rumble of an earthquake. We rushed out immediately; there was a lot of smoke and dust here. The entire building had collapsed," he told ANI. "Some bodies were recovered, and they also rescued four children who were still breathing. Sounds are still coming from within the rubble—children crying out, "Save us, save us!"... There are at least 25–30 children. There was a boys' PG and a girls' PG here nearby. 4-5 people have been rescued; 2-3 bodies have been recovered, and more are likely to be found," he stated.

Speaking to news agency ANI, the eyewitness said the possible cause behind the building collapse in Satya Niketan could be weak pillars of the structure. "They were constructing a basement. They had reinforced the upper structure, but the pillars at the bottom were weak. They were renovating the building—specifically to create a rental space on the ground floor—and that caused the collapse. Laborers were working down below and got buried..." he said. Police sources told PTI that construction work in the basement was ongoing prior to the incident.