3 critical after boys' PG building collapses in Delhi's Satya Niketan, several feared trapped
Eight fire tenders are present at the site, as rescue personnel are currently carrying out operations to evacuate people trapped under the debris.
A building collapsed near Satya Niketan in southwest Delhi on Sunday afternoon, with several people feared trapped under the debris, police said. The exact number of people trapped is yet to be ascertained, while two people have been rescued from the debris so far. According to locals, the building that collapsed was a boys' PG.
Three people were rescued from the rubble and are in critical condition. They are undergoing treatment at the AIIMS trauma centre, the hospital said.
A police official at the site said a preliminary inquiry suggested that around 40 to 50 people were suspected to have been inside the building.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
What happened?
The Delhi Fire Services received an alert about the collapse at around 1.30 pm, following which a rescue operation was launched. A PCR call regarding the incident was received at South Campus police station at around 1.34 pm, reporting the collapse of a building near Nanakpura Gurdwara.
Eight fire tenders have been deployed at the site, while local police personnel, the fire brigade, CAT ambulance, and other emergency services are carrying out rescue and relief operations.
A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also reached the spot.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta expresses concern
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta expressed concern over the building collapse at Satya Niketan and noted that the adjacent building was vacated as a precautionary measure.
"Deeply concerned by the building collapse incident at Satya Niketan, RK Puram. Teams from DDMA, NDRF, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence are carrying out rescue operations on a war footing. The adjacent building has been vacated as a precautionary measure. Every possible effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped and provide immediate assistance to the affected families," the CM said in a post on X.
"The situation is being closely monitored, and all concerned agencies are working in coordination. The safety and well-being of every citizen remain our highest priority," she added.
Two died in 2022 building collapse
The incident comes four years after a similar building collapse in Satya Niketan in April 2022, when two labourers were killed and four others injured after an under-construction four-storey building collapsed.
Six workers were rescued from the debris during a rescue operation involving the National Disaster Response Force, fire department and Delhi Police that lasted more than three hours.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation had then said the building had been flagged for alleged illegal structural alterations a month before the collapse and that the police and district administration had been informed.
At that time, then South Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Mukesh Suryan had said a notice was issued to the building owner on March 31, warning that the structural alterations being carried out were dangerous. He had also claimed that the police were informed about the matter.
A senior police officer, however, said the civic body should have followed up and checked whether the alleged illegal construction had continued after the notice was issued.
