Two friends survive being trapped under collapsed Saidulajab building in South Delhi

Two friends managed to survive being trapped for more than three hours under the debris of a collapsed building in the Saidulajab area of South Delhi by keeping each other motivated beneath a shattered table. The collapse, which occurred while the group of friends was eating dinner, resulted in the deaths of two other friends, Kapil and Nalin.

Vishal, a 24-year-old engineer and Indian Engineering Services (IES) aspirant, recounted the harrowing experience from his bed at the AIIMS Trauma Centre. Vishal, who lives in a paying guest (PG) accommodation in the neighbourhood and attends nearby coaching classes, had gone to a mess next door with his friends for dinner.

When the building suddenly collapsed, a shattered table became a makeshift sanctuary, shielding Vishal and his friend from the heavy falling concrete. Trapped in the pitch dark with a rapidly depleting air supply, the two friends continuously spoke to each other to ward off panic and stay alive.

At one point during the ordeal, they comforted each other by saying, "Let’s go to sleep, we will be saved if it’s destined."

Even as the air grew thin and his own limbs went numb from the pressure of the rubble, Vishal's thoughts remained on his friend's safety. When rescuers finally reached the trapped men, Vishal’s final plea to the rescue team was to save his friend first.

While Vishal, Anuj, and Aditya survived the collapse with injuries, their friends Kapil and Nalin died in the debris.

"I could hear people screaming from under the rubble," Vishal said, describing the three hours of suffocation, agony, and uncertainty. "But I didn’t know if anyone could hear me."