New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh)— A 50-year-old, five-storey building operating as a boys’ student accommodation collapsed in a narrow lane of Satya Niketan near Delhi University’s South Campus on Sunday afternoon, claiming at least five lives and leaving several others feared trapped beneath the rubble. Emergency teams have extricated eight individuals from the debris so far, with hospital authorities confirming that two victims were brought dead while three others succumbed during emergency treatment.
The structural failure took place around 1:30 PM at the facility known locally as “Hostel Daze,” where active repair operations were reportedly under way in the basement. Heavy rain across the national capital over recent days had led to significant water accumulation in the subterranean levels, which residents and investigators suspect further eroded the aging foundation. The sudden collapse crushed several vehicles parked along the lane and sent shockwaves through the densely populated student neighbourhood.
Rescue teams comprising 70 National Disaster Response Force personnel, search canine squads, Delhi Fire Services, and local police launched emergency operations amidst challenging conditions in the congested bylane. Responders lowered oxygen cylinders into air pockets within the concrete debris to assist those still trapped, while local residents formed human chains to aid clearing efforts. Paramilitary personnel were deployed to clear approach corridors for ambulances navigating the tight streets.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Lieutenant Governor Taranjeet Sandhu, Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, and local Member of Parliament Bansuri Swaraj visited the scene to review emergency measures, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister JP Nadda reached out to administrative heads to offer federal assistance. Law enforcement confirmed that a first information report is being registered and multiple police teams have been dispatched to trace the building’s Gurugram-based owner as recovery operations proceed.
