Satya Niketan Building Collapse: Student Recalls Being Trapped Under Rubble For Over An Hour

A Delhi University student who survived the collapse of Satya Niketan PG building has described the terrifying moments when he was trapped under the debris, and only found out that he was bleeding once he was rescued.

Nitesh Chib, a second-year B.Com student, was inside his room at the HostelDaze PG on Sunday afternoon after having lunch when the building suddenly collapsed..

Chib and a friend were buried and were stuck under the rubble for about an hour and a half before they were rescued.

While they were stranded, Chib's friend managed to send his WhatsApp location and SOS messages to people outside while they were trapped.

They had passed on their message to their friends, which then we're transferred to the information to the rescue teams.

Later the two students were rescued from under the rubble and were injured.

“My whole body was numb. I could not feel anything. I realised I was bleeding. I came to my full senses a while later in the hospital,” Chib said. He was only able to come to full consciousness when he reached the hospital, he said.

The students, who were living in the PG, were not expecting the building to collapse, Chib said. He mentioned that from the outside it looked fine and there were no cracks or anything that seemed unsafe.

Work in the basement had been ongoing for over a week before the incident, he said, adding that it was related to construction. The collapse, however, came unexpectedly.

The survivor has stated that the incident had made him realise the importance of complying with building safety regulations especially when it comes to the accommodation occupied by students.

Student Appeals For Regular Safety Inspections

During his convalescence, Chib told authorities that there is need to ensure that safety standards are not compromised during construction or in operation, and that the buildings where students are located should be inspected regularly.

He noted that students who come to the city of Delhi for education often have few choices and are forced to stay in paying guest facilities.

His appeal follows the controversy as to how the Satya Niketan building is permitted to operate while it was believed that there were violations in the structure and construction.

Seven Killed In Satya Niketan Collapse

On Sunday, the building fell apart, killing seven people, including five students and injuring others.

The incident has also raised questions on the work that has been done at the house.

As per the FIR lodged, it stated that the owners were aware of the strength of the old foundation was insufficient to bear further construction work.

In the FIR, Hariram Bansal alias Gupta and his brother are accused of building four more floors on the existing building to make more money.

Investigators have said the extra construction forced the old building's structure to bear more weight, adding to the building's 40-year-old structure.

There have been concerns about the safety of densely occupied PG accommodations in Delhi and the need to closely watch buildings that suffer from unauthorised structural changes.

Chib's survival under the collapsed building has made him rethink the issue of students being forced to stay in buildings that may not have met basic safety standards.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susmita Modak

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Always love to raise the unraised matter. In a world of worries, I am always ready to come over my comfort zone and taking the step ahead of spreading awareness.

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