New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) Before the rescue agencies arrived, students and locals dug through the debris of the collapsed PG in south Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday, and formed a human chain to remove the rubble piece by piece in the hope of reaching those buried underneath.
The collapse, which took place at around 1.30 pm, turned a narrow lane near Delhi University’s South Campus into a site of frantic rescue operation. Students rushed to where the building stood only minutes ago, many looking for friends and juniors who lived in the five-storey building, while locals began pulling away whatever they could with their bare hands.
“We heard a very loud rumbling sound and suddenly the chairs we were sitting on started shaking. It felt like an earthquake. Then we saw a huge cloud of dust moving towards the right,” said Abhishek Mishra, a first-year student at Delhi University’s Law Faculty, who was near the building.
“Everyone started running towards the building. There were a lot of students and locals at the spot. We all pitched in and started removing the debris,” he said.
Students and residents began passing the smaller pieces of debris from one person to another, as they tried to create space for people to enter the wreckage. “We formed a human chain because there was so much rubble and it had to be cleared quickly,” he added.
They removed plates, plastic bottles, broken pipes, toilet parts, chunks of concrete and twisted iron rods by hand.
JCB machines was brought in to clear the heavier rubble, but students continued to help, picking through parts of the rubble that could not be shifted mechanically.
“I knew many of the students who were staying there. That is why when the building collapsed, students from around the area immediately came out. Nobody was standing there waiting to be told what to do. People just started helping,” he said.
The collapsed PG was adjacent to a temple, next to which stood an MCD office. Students at the spot claimed that the gates of the civic office were initially shut, and they pushed them open to create additional space where the rubble and construction-and-demolition waste being cleared from the site could be kept.
The five-storey building, which housed a boys’ PG, collapsed around 1.30 pm. Five people have been confirmed dead. Eight people were taken out of the rubble and rushed to a hospital, some of whom died and some were in critical condition, police said.
The number of people inside the building at the time remained unclear. Locals claimed that over 30 people could have been present at the building when it collapsed.
The building was nearly 50 years old, according to police, and had around 15 rooms, with two to three students sharing each room. Most of the occupants were students from Motilal Nehru College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College and Sri Venkateswara College, they said, paying around Rs 12,000 per bed or more.
Several students said the collapse exposed concerns related to the safety of PG accommodations in the area.
Students said the building was extremely old but was repainted every year before the start of the academic session, giving parents and others the impression that it was relatively new and well maintained. They also alleged that inspections of the building were rarely carried out.
“Between July 15 and August 15-20, a lot of students come here because of college admissions. These PGs are made to look attractive — they have balconies, good decor and spacious rooms. Parents also see that and assume the place is safe,” a first-year student said.
“But nobody checks the fire NOC. Nobody checks the construction. The building was already tilted quite a bit. It was a standalone structure and did not have proper support from three sides,” another student alleged.
Construction work was underway in the basement before the collapse, a senior police officer said. Locals alleged that water had accumulated there after days of rain and that a wall was being removed as part of the work. These allegations could not be independently verified.
Students also alleged that the response at the site became a source of frustration for many who were trying to help.
“When the authorities came, they were scolding us for being near the site. But we were there because the rescue work was moving slowly and we were trying to help. If people are trapped and the work is slow, students will naturally try to do whatever they can,” said Abhinav, a third-year BSc student.
Students and locals later alleged that the NDRF arrived late and that there was a lack of coordination between the agencies involved during the initial response. The allegations could not be independently verified.
Two NDRF teams comprising 70 personnel and a canine squad were eventually deployed at the site. Oxygen cylinders were also dropped beneath the debris for people who might still be alive.
The narrow lanes, packed with PGs, eateries and shops, made movement of rescue equipment difficult.
A girls’ PG adjacent to the collapsed building was evacuated as a precaution. The girls were taken to ARSD College, where they were provided food and other assistance, locals said.
Mishra said the problems facing students in the locality went beyond the structural safety of individual buildings.
“Students come here because this is close to their colleges, but they have to compromise on basic facilities. Waterlogging is common during the monsoon and the quality of food in many PGs is also very poor,” he alleged.
“When students first arrive, the food is good. After two or three days, the quality deteriorates. Sometimes there is barely any dal, only water. Students have even found insects in their food,” he claimed.
By evening, rescue personnel had taken over most of the operation, with heavy machinery clearing the larger sections of the collapsed structure.
Most of the students staying in the locality were from Keralam, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and study at colleges across the road.
Some students who had come to Satya Niketan looking for PG accommodation said they were shaken by the collapse and would now avoid taking a PG in the area. They said colleges should expand their hostel infrastructure to accommodate more students, so that those coming from outside Delhi do not have to depend on privately run PGs for accommodation. PTI MSJ SKY SKY
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