Three Students Dead After 5-Storey Hostel Collapses in Satya Niketan
At least three students died and five others were left in critical condition after a five-storey building housing a boys' hostel collapsed in South Delhi's Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon. Following the incident, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) evacuated and sealed an adjoining dilapidated building housing a girls' paying guest (PG) facility.
The collapsed structure, known as 'Hostel Daze', was situated in a congested lane near Delhi University's South Campus. According to a senior MCD official, the nearly 30-year-old ground-plus-four (G+4) building had been erected on an area of roughly 55 square yards in a resettlement colony where permissions were granted strictly for ground-plus-one (G+1) units. Officials stated that the structure violated building norms, noting that several unauthorised hostels and PGs have mushroomed across the locality.
Local residents claimed that ongoing repair work and water accumulation in the basement following recent rainfall may have weakened the structure. However, civic authorities said it was impossible to confirm whether any construction work was actively underway until the debris was cleared.
Addressing the situation, MCD Deputy Commissioner (South) Rakesh Kumar said the adjacent building was also evacuated due to severe safety risks. "The structure next to the collapsed building appears to be in a dilapidated condition. It has been sealed and will be demolished. All the tenants in the next building have been shifted to the nearest community hall," Kumar said. He added that sealing drives were already active in the neighbourhood and that further strict action would be taken.
Multiple agencies, including the Delhi Police, the Delhi Fire Service, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), were deployed to carry out rescue efforts. Two NDRF teams comprising around 70 personnel and a canine squad were stationed at the location, with emergency responders dropping oxygen cylinders beneath the rubble to assist those trapped underneath.
To aid the clearance, the civic body deployed two hydra machines, four JCB excavators, about six pickup trucks, and 30 to 40 MCD personnel. Although local residents feared that several people remained buried under the debris, officials noted that the exact number of individuals trapped could not be immediately confirmed as search operations continued.
