5 students killed as hostel building crashes in Delhi
In Short
- 5 critical, many trapped
- Modi expresses grief over loss of lives
- Will spare no one: Delhi CM vows action
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5 students killed as hostel building crashes in Delhi
New Delhi: At least five people have died, and five others are critically injured after a five-storey student PG building came crashing down in southwest Delhi's Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon, turning a congested neighbourhood near Delhi University's South Campus into a frantic rescue zone.
With fears that dozens could still be buried under tonnes of rubble, rescue teams are racing against time to reach those trapped inside the nearly 40-50-year-old structure.
Witnesses estimated that as many as 40 to 50 people could be trapped under the debris, although authorities are yet to confirm the figure. The collapse occurred around 1.30 pm while construction work was reportedly underway in the basement, raising questions over the building’s condition and the work being carried out inside it.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and said authorities were working at the site and assisting those affected. “The collapse of a building at Satya Niketan, Delhi is distressing. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. Authorities are working at the site and assisting those affected in the mishap,” the PMO India said in a post on X.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the AIIMS Trauma Centre and spoke with doctors and health officials to take stock of the condition of people who were rescued from the Satya Niketan building collapse site. Gupta also assured that strict action would be taken over the incident, saying, “No one will be spared.”
Police said construction work was underway in the basement when the building collapsed at around 1.30 pm. A PCR call was received at the South Campus police station at 1.34 pm regarding the collapse of a building near Nanakpura Gurdwara, police said in a statement. “The exact number of persons trapped/injured is still not known at present. Further details will be shared as and when confirmed,” it added.
Police said they have identified the building’s owner and formed teams to trace him. Delhi Police also filed an FIR against the owner, Anand Bansal, a Gurugram resident.
Satya Niketan, located near Delhi University’s South Campus, has several buildings operating as student PG accommodations, hostels and eateries.
According to officials, the collapsed building was known as “Hostel Daze”. The structure reportedly had around 15 rooms, with two to three students sharing each room, while a medical shop operated on the ground floor.
Rajen Chhetri, a local who works with the Delhi Police, said most of the students living in the building were from Keralam, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and studied mainly at Motilal Nehru College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College and Sri Venkateswara College. “They were paying around Rs 12,000 per bed,” Chhetri said.
A local said the hostel was usually full and that many people could still be trapped under the debris. “The hostel was always full. So many people could still be trapped under the debris. The lanes are very congested, so it was difficult for rescue vehicles to arrive at the scene faster,” the local said. An eyewitness said the toll could have been higher had the collapse occurred on a working day, as several students had returned home for the weekend.
