A five-storey building collapsed in Satyaniketan, killing three and injuring several others

Three people were killed and several others injured when a five-storey building collapsed in southwest Delhi's Satyaniketan on Sunday afternoon. According to the AIIMS Trauma Center, seven people were brought in after the collapse, three of whom were pronounced dead on arrival. Another person was taken to Safdarjung Hospital for treatment. The incident triggered a massive rescue operation as emergency crews searched the rubble for people believed to be trapped under the collapsed structure. Eyewitnesses and local residents put the number of people possibly trapped at more than 15.
Officials say the exact figures are yet to be determined. A police officer present at the scene said that preliminary estimates indicated that around 40 to 50 people were inside the building when it collapsed. A coordinated rescue effort involving Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Disaster Management Authority and Centralized Accident and Trauma Services was immediately launched. Eight fire tenders were deployed, while ambulances and other emergency teams were mobilized to the spot. According to police, PS South Campus received a PCR call about a building collapse at Satyaniketan Market at around 1:34 pm. "Teams from Delhi Police, NDRF, Delhi Fire Service and DDMA, along with fire tenders and CATS ambulances, rushed to the spot and started rescue operations.
Joint CP/New Delhi Range, DCP/Southwest District and Additional DCP are monitoring the proceedings. Local inquiry revealed that the building was 50-50-40 years old and was the foundation of the building. The top floor, and was being used as PG accommodation when the incident took place, six people have been rescued and shifted to hospitals so far." The building was reportedly undergoing renovations in its basement when it gave way. Police said their preliminary local investigation revealed that the structure was about 40 to 50 years old and had a basement and five floors above it. Meanwhile, residents and eyewitnesses described scenes of panic immediately after the collapse.
A shopkeeper near the building told the media that people initially mistook the noise from the structure for the earthquake. Eyewitnesses said a huge cloud of dust and smoke rose from the site and claimed that rescue workers had pulled several people out of the wreckage, including four children. He also said that cries for help could still be heard from under the rubble. According to the eyewitness, there was a boys' PG and a girls' PG going on nearby.
They claimed that construction work was going on in the basement and suggested that changes in the lower part of the structure contributed to its collapse. Another eyewitness identified the collapsed premises as a boys' PG known as "Hostel Days". He said a neighboring structure also collapsed and claimed that students who were inside their rooms were buried under the debris. The eyewitness said that the final number of stranded people would have to be determined through the registration records of the PG. He said that the rescue workers were facing a lot of difficulty in reaching the people buried under the debris and said that many students had sustained serious injuries. Balraj Singh, Nodal Officer, Site Permits, said five people have been shifted to AIIMS Trauma Center and medical authorities will provide more details about their condition. He said there are reports that 25 to 30 people may have died in the incident and added that 17 ambulances have been deployed for emergency response.
Delhi Mayor Parvesh Wahi also reached the spot and appealed to the people to allow the emergency personnel to continue their work without any hindrance. The collapse occurred in Satyaniketan, a densely populated area near Delhi University's south campus, where a large number of students live in hostels and rented accommodation. As rescue workers continued to remove layers of concrete and debris, officials said the number of people trapped could not yet be confirmed. The operation focused on finding survivors and evacuating those found under collapsed structures.