New Delhi: Dozens of students are feared trapped under the rubble after a four-storey building collapsed in south Delhi’s Satya Niketan area Sunday. At least three have been rescued so far and admitted to the AIIMS trauma centre in critical condition, according to an AIIMS Delhi spokesperson.
The structure, called “Hostel Daze”, housed hostel accommodation for students, according to Delhi Police officers. Authorities were alerted by local residents, after which teams of police, Delhi Fire Services and the National Disaster Response Force were dispatched to the site for rescue operations.
“A PCR call has been received at PS South Campus at around 1.34 pm regarding the collapse of a building near Nanakpura Gurdwara,” a South West Delhi Police spokesperson said. “Local police staff, Fire Brigade, CAT Ambulance and other emergency services are present at the spot. The NDRF team has also reached, and rescue and relief operations are underway.”
Local MLA from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Anil Sharma, also arrived at the site and said that the government’s primary objective is to rescue all those trapped. “This is a deeply tragic incident, and there is nothing more heartbreaking than this. Students from various places come here to study and stay in PGs in this building, which has collapsed,” he told media persons.
He added, “Some students are even making calls from under the rubble, and it appears there are still others trapped inside, so rescue efforts are ongoing.”
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that even the adjacent building has been vacated as a precautionary measure in the wake of the tragedy, and that multi-agency efforts are underway to rescue all those trapped inside.
“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,” she posted on X.
The building collapse in Satya Niketan comes months after a similar incident in south Delhi near the Saket metro station in May, which had left six dead. A government-appointed probe committee had found the Municipal Corporation of Delhi primarily responsible for the collapse.
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