A five-storey paying guest accommodation in Delhi’s Satya Niketan collapsed on Sunday while repair work was being carried out in its basement, Delhi Police said. At least five people were killed in the collapse, while several others were feared trapped under the rubble. The building, estimated to be 40 to 50 years old, was being used as a boys’ PG for students.
The exact number of people who may have been inside the building at the time of the collapse has not been officially confirmed. A major rescue operation has been launched at the site, involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Disaster Management Authority, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, CATS and Civil Defence. Four were brought dead, while another critically injured patient later succumbed to their injuries. Three patients remain admitted and are undergoing treatment. One patient underwent limb surgery, while another, who suffered minor injuries, was discharged after being kept under observation. The collapse has also drawn attention to the way student accommodation operates in Satya Niketan, an area where demand from students studying at colleges around Delhi University’s South Campus has led many residential properties to be converted into PGs. They described how rooms are divided, the rents they pay and the conditions of the buildings in which they stay. Several students also spoke about the physical condition of some properties, offering a picture of the crowded living arrangements common in parts of the locality. The accounts have raised questions about whether ageing residential buildings are adequately maintained when they are converted into student accommodation. Nearby residents rushed out and joined the rescue effort, using their hands and whatever tools were available to clear the debris. “We are even getting calls from those who are trapped inside. Rescuers have been working through the rubble to locate anyone still trapped. Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed to control the crowd and keep the narrow lanes clear for ambulances and emergency vehicles. Authorities appealed to residents and onlookers to stay away, saying crowds were making it harder for rescue teams to work. Members of student organisations, including the NSUI and AISA, also reached the site to help with the rescue effort. Delhi Police has registered an FIR against the building owner, Anand Bansal, a resident of Gurugram. The incident has raised wider concerns about the condition of buildings in Satya Niketan, where numerous properties are being used as student PGs, hostels and eateries. She alleged that some owners simply rented out their properties and moved away, leaving them to operate as PGs. “Even the gutters and sewers here are open. There were many students trapped inside the building.
The JPN Apex Trauma Centre at AIIMS received 10 patients from the Satya Niketan building collapse. It reportedly had around 10 rooms, while a medical shop operated on the ground floor. Students living in and around the locality told India Today that a single floor in some PGs can have four rooms with around 10 beds. Another resident claimed around 35 to 40 students were staying on the upper floors, with some asleep when the structure collapsed. Witnesses at the scene, however, estimated that around 40 to 50 people could be trapped beneath the debris. Priyanka, who said she had lived in the area for 20 to 22 years, told that buildings in the locality were being constructed up to five or six floors, while many houses had been converted into boys’ PGs. She also claimed that the collapsed building was more than 20 years old and that she had not seen maintenance work being carried out there.
The building, known as “Hostel Daze”, had a basement and five floors above it. Residents said the collapse happened suddenly, with a loud crash that was preceded by what some described as a tremor. One local resident told PTI that the ground appeared to shake before people realised the building had come down. He said construction work was taking place in the basement and that he had left the building only minutes earlier. “As soon as I came out, the whole thing collapsed,” he said. Another resident said his nephew had ridden past the building on a motorcycle moments before it collapsed. The structure came down shortly after he crossed it, the resident said, quoting his nephew as saying, “It was a matter of seconds. Police also said they were receiving calls from people believed to be trapped inside. Teams are continuously in touch with those who are trapped inside; we pray to god that all people are safe,” a police official said. “Many houses have been converted into boys’ PGs, with the owners shifting elsewhere,” she said. “The whole of Satya Niketan is full of PGs, and hardly 30 per cent of the house owners actually live here,” she said. Since it was raining, most of them were in their rooms, while some had gone home as it was the weekend,” Priyanka said.
Oxygen cylinders were also taken to the site in case rescuers need to provide oxygen to people trapped beneath the debris. Another resident called for buildings in the area to undergo structural verification, questioning whether five-storey buildings with basements should have been allowed in the residential locality. The search and rescue operation remains underway as emergency teams continue to sift through the rubble for anyone who may still be trapped. With agency inputs
At least 12 fire tenders have been deployed.
