Delhi Satya Niketan building collapse: Death toll rises to 7 as rescue ops enter day 2

The death toll in the building collapse in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan area rose to seven on Monday as search and rescue operations entered the second day.

So far, 12 people have been rescued from the debris of the decades-old multi-storey building.

The death toll in Sunday’s PG building collapse rose to seven after two more bodies were pulled out from the rubble during rescue operations, officials said. Earlier, 11 people had been rescued, while around 30-50 students were feared trapped under the debris.

National Disaster Response Force Inspector General (IG) Narendra Bundela said on Monday that the federal contingency force did not have a “specific figure” on the number of people trapped under the debris.

Multiple agencies, including the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force and Delhi Disaster Management Authority, carried out rescue operations through the night.

The five-storey building, which housed a boys’ paying guest accommodation named Hostel Daze near Delhi University’s South Campus, collapsed around 1.30 pm on Sunday while repair work was underway on the ground floor.

Police said renovation work was being carried out on the ground floor when the building collapsed. The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear.

The building was around 50 years old and stood on a 55-square-yard plot in a resettlement colony, a senior MCD official said. It was a G+4 structure when the original permission was only for a G+1 building, the official added.

The building had a basement and five upper floors and was being used to house students, local media reported.

Locals claimed that water had accumulated in the basement after days of rain, possibly weakening the foundation.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta told reporters, “It is certain that there was water in the building’s basement, and due to accumulation of water, due to ongoing repair work, the old building collapsed.”

CCTV footage shows narrow escape

Fresh CCTV footage from opposite the collapsed five-storey building showed a shopkeeper making a narrow escape as the structure came crashing down.

The CCTV camera captured the man sitting outside his shop moments before the collapse. As the building suddenly gave way and clouds of dust engulfed the area, he was seen leaving his shop and running for his life.

Visuals after the collapse showed heaps of bricks and broken concrete pillars at the site, with police, rescuers and locals searching for trapped survivors.

Rescue operation continues

Around 30 to 50 students were initially feared trapped under the debris, with some making phone calls for help from beneath the rubble.

Ten injured people were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, the hospital said.

Two NDRF teams comprising around 70 personnel, along with a canine squad, were deployed for the search. Oxygen cylinders were also lowered into the debris for those trapped underneath.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence were involved in the rescue operation. Locals also joined the effort, using their hands and whatever tools were available to clear the rubble.

FIR registered, lookout notice issued against owner

An FIR under Sections 105, 290 and 125 (a) BNS was registered against building owner Hariram Bansal and others.

Police booked Hari Ram and others on charges including culpable homicide, negligence in upkeep of a structure and endangering public safety at the South Campus Police Station.

The Delhi Police also issued a lookout notice against Hari Ram, the owner of the five-storey building, official sources said on Monday, Sep 7. At the time the notice was issued, official sources said six people had died in the incident.

The notice was issued as efforts continued to trace those allegedly responsible for the incident, the police source added.

Police were also searching for the owner of the building, television channels reported.

The Delhi High Court is likely to hear an urgent plea on the building collapse later in the day.

(With inputs from agencies)