Saket building disaster claims 6 lives
On Sunday, the death toll from a commercial building collapse in South Delhi climbed to six as the rescue operations concluded. The building, situated on Western Marg near Saket Metro sation, collapsed on Saturday evening. It housed a coaching institute, cafes, and offices. At the time of the collapse, construction work was reportedly underway on its upper floor. Eight people were pulled out of the rubble, of whom six succumbed to their injuries.
“A total of six people have died,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal said. The deceased were identified as Ravi (24), Kapil (28), Nalin Ray (23), Alok (age not specified), Parvati (35), and Ekta (24).
Parvati owned a tin-shed canteen adjoining the collapsed building, which was frequently visited by students preparing for medical entrance examinations. Officials said much of the building’s debris fell onto this canteen, resulting in her death.
Following the collapse, an FIR was registered under relevant sections, including culpable homicide, and investigation teams were constituted to examine the circumstances, officials said.
The police said that among the injured and deceased were individuals preparing for the Foreign Medical Graduate examination. The area is a hotspot for coaching centres catering to students seeking admission to medical and engineering programmes abroad.
A multi-agency rescue operation involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services (DFS), DDMA, Delhi Police, Delhi Civil Defence, CATS ambulances, and local volunteers continued through Saturday night. Officials said the rescue operation concluded late Sunday after all trapped people were accounted for and the debris was thoroughly searched, marking the end of active emergency response.
CCTV footage of the collapse circulated widely on social media. The video captured a student beginning to film after noticing stones and bricks tumbling onto the road. Seconds later, the entire building crashed down, a dense cloud of dust engulfed the area, and panic erupted among nearby residents.
The injured were identified as Kshitij Pratap (25), Neelam Yadav (25), Anuj Dixit (22), Tarun (25), Saika Khan (27), Aastha (26), Aditya Sharma (24), and Vishal (25). All were shifted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment. Police said some of the injured had already been discharged after receiving medical care. Others remained under medical observation and were being treated in the hospital.
The exact cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained. Authorities have launched a detailed inquiry to determine whether structural weaknesses, construction activity, or violations of building norms contributed to the tragedy. As part of early administrative action, the Deputy Commissioner of MCD’s South Zone suspended Assistant Engineer (Building) Sudesh Singh Chouhan and Junior Engineer (Building) Aman Jain over alleged lapses in supervision related to the collapsed building.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the site of a building collapse on Sunday. The Government ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter. The FIR has been lodged at Mehrauli police station, while the inquiry will be conducted under the supervision of the South District Magistrate on the chief minister’s directions. Delhi Police officials said further legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
