At least six people have died after a five-story residential building collapsed in New Delhi’s Satya Niketan neighborhood, a densely populated area near Delhi University known for housing large numbers of students. Witnesses say the building, known as Hostel Daze, came down suddenly on a Sunday afternoon when as many as 40 to 80 people may have been inside, many of them resting in their rooms since there were no classes that day.
Delhi’s Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, said the collapse appeared to result from a combination of water accumulation and ongoing repair work in the building’s basement. By Monday morning, officials said roughly 80% of the debris had been cleared, with only rubble from the basement still to be removed. Twelve people have been pulled from the wreckage so far — six confirmed dead and six others hospitalized in stable condition. Rescue workers reported hearing trapped students calling for help and making phone calls from beneath the debris.
Local residents described the collapse as sounding like an earthquake, with clouds of dust and smoke filling the street. An adjacent building has been evacuated as a precaution and is expected to be demolished. Police have opened a case against the property’s owner, who leased the building on a 100-year contract and reportedly carried out basement excavation to expand the hostel. A student group has demanded a full investigation, saying negligence toward student safety cannot be tolerated. Read the original BBC report for further details.
Source: Six dead and more feared trapped in collapsed building in Delhi (feeds.bbci.co.uk). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: Saadia Malik.