Building collapses in south Delhi's Satya Niketan; 1 dead, 2 critical, several trapped

New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) A five-storey building housing a boys' PG collapsed in south Delhi's Satya Niketan area on Sunday afternoon, leaving one dead and several people trapped, officials said.

The area is close to the heart of Delhi University's South Campus and has congested lanes lined with student hostels and eateries. Locals claimed the building was nearly 20 years old and construction work in the basement was on when the incident occurred at around 1.30 pm.

Of the four patients the hospital received, two remain critical, and one was brought dead. One rescuer who was brought in has been discharged, AIIMS sources 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, a police officer said.

A PCR call was received at South Campus police station at 1.34 pm regarding the collapse of a building near Nanakpura Gurdwara, the police said in a statement.

"The exact number of persons trapped/injured is not known at present. Some people have been rescued so far. Further details will be shared as and when confirmed," read the statement.

Police said they have identified the building's owner and have formed teams to trace him.

According to officials, the collapsed building was known as 'Hostel Daze.'

Witnesses at the scene estimate that more than 20 people may be trapped under the rubble, but this figure has not been officially confirmed.

"The hostel was always full. So many people could still be trapped under the debris. The lanes are very congested, so it was difficult for rescue vehicles to arrive at the scene faster," a local said.

Locals and eyewitnesses said they immediately joined the rescue efforts, using their hands and available tools to remove debris in their search for those trapped underneath.

An eyewitness commented that the incident could have been much worse had it occurred on a working day since many students from nearby areas had returned home. "Very few were here," he said.

Rajen Chhetri, a local who works with the Delhi Police, said the building housed around 15 rooms, with two to three students sharing each room.

"Most of the students staying here are from Keralam, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and study mainly at Motilal Nehru College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College and Sri Venkateswara College. They were paying around Rs 12,000 per bed," Chhetri said.

“I have been living here for the last 20 years. Some construction work was going on in the basement, where water had started accumulating. The foundation was also extremely weak,” he said, adding that around 13 people had been rescued.

Delhi has witnessed incessant rains since Friday.

Priyanka, a local living in the area for the past 20-22 years, said, "Buildings here are being constructed up to five-six floors. Many houses have been converted into boys' PGs, with the owners shifting elsewhere. They simply name the properties as PGs, take the rent online and leave the area without even checking back."

"The PG that collapsed is over 20 years old, and in all these years, I have not seen any maintenance work being carried out. The whole of Satya Niketan is full of PGs. Hardly 30 per cent of the house owners actually live here," she said.

"Even the gutters and sewers here are open. There were many students trapped inside the building. Since it was raining, most of them were in their rooms, while some had gone home as it was the weekend," Priyanka said.

Police are advising locals and onlookers to stay away from the site, as bystanders are complicating rescue efforts. Both police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to ensure ambulances move freely.

BJP MLA Anil Sharma reached the spot and informed that people are still trapped. "We are even getting calls from those who are trapped inside. Teams are continuously in touch with those who are trapped," he said.