New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Sunday spoke to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and took stock of the situation following the collapse of a five-storey building in south Delhi’s Satya Niketan, which left three students dead and several others injured.
Nadda assured the chief minister of all necessary support from the Union health ministry and called on the directors of AIIMS and other central government hospitals in Delhi to provide all possible medical assistance to those injured in the incident, official sources said.
Taking to X, Nadda said that local authorities are carrying out rescue and relief operations on a war footing.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic building collapse at Satya Niketan in Delhi. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this unfortunate incident. I pray for the safety and well-being of everyone affected and for the speedy recovery of those injured,” his post read.
The five-storey building, almost 50 years old, housing a boys’ hostel, collapsed in a congested bylane in Satya Niketan near Delhi University’s South Campus on Sunday afternoon.
Eight people have been pulled out of the debris so far, of whom two were brought dead to AIIMS, while a third died during treatment. Five are critical, the police said.
Locals claimed that around 40 to 50 people were still trapped under the debris of the building, which comprised a basement and five upper floors.
Repair work was underway in the basement of the structure, which was used as a paying guest (PG) accommodation, when it collapsed at around 1.30 pm, a senior officer said.
Locals claimed that water collection over days of rain in the basement had weakened the building’s foundation, leading to its eventual collapse.
Teams of Delhi Police, NDRF, Delhi Fire Service and DDMA, along with fire tenders and CATS ambulances, reached the spot and commenced rescue operations.
The area is marked by narrow, congested bylanes lined with eateries and PG accommodations catering mainly to students.
The densely packed buildings and heavy student presence often leave little room for movement, with locals saying most of the students staying in the locality were from Keralam, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and study at colleges across the road.
As rescue teams worked through the debris, locals also joined the frantic efforts, using their bare hands and whatever tools they could find to search for those buried underneath.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Lieutenant Governor Taranjeet Singh Sandhu, Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, and MP Bansuri Swaraj rushed to the spot after the incident.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his grief at the deaths.
He said he spoke to the chief minister, the police commissioner, and the NDMA director general for an assessment of the situation on the ground.
“The injured are being given all necessary medical assistance. Praying for the speedy recovery of all those injured,” he wrote on X.
The Joint Commissioner of Police, New Delhi Range, DCP Southwest and Additional DCP are supervising the operation, an officer said, adding that the building was known as ‘Hostel Daze’ and its owner is based in Gurugram.
The process to register an FIR is underway, and seven to eight teams are searching for the building’s owner.
“The exact number of persons trapped/injured is still not known at present. Further details will be shared as and when confirmed,” Delhi Police said in a statement. PTI PLB MPL MPL
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