Delhi Building Collapse: 1 Dead, Several Injured Near Saket Metro Station

The three-storey commercial building collapse on Western Marg in the Saidulajab area near the Saket metro station on Saturday has left one person dead and eight injured.

According to PTI, authorities identified the 26-year-old victim as Ravi, while rescue workers admitted the eight survivors to the AIIMS Trauma Centre.

The structure housed a coaching institute, cafes and offices. According to the PTI, construction work was underway on the third floor at the time of the collapse. The collapse reduced the entire structure to a massive mound of rubble, with twisted metal, broken pillars and concrete slabs scattered across the site. The debris crashed onto an adjoining tin shed canteen frequented by medical students.

Multi-Agency Rescue Efforts

A multi-agency rescue operation involving the National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Disaster Management Authority, Delhi Police and local volunteers continued overnight under floodlights. Deputy Commissioner of Police Anant Mittal said beat staff received information at 7.35 p.m., a police control room call followed within three minutes, and maximum staff from Mehrauli police station rushed to the spot.

"It was found that an old building had collapsed and the debris had fallen on an adjacent cabin-like structure. We have been informed that the premises were being used as a canteen for medical students, and some people may be trapped. Rescue operations are being jointly carried out by the NDRF, DDMA, fire services and Delhi Police," Mittal told PTI.

The Delhi Fire Services initially dispatched three fire tenders and an emergency response vehicle. They later added more engines and a lighting vehicle to the scene. Rescue teams used heavy machinery, including JCB excavators, hydraulic cutters, jacks, victim-location cameras, earth-auger drilling machines and sniffer dogs.

"The exact number of fatalities, if any, can only be confirmed after all the trapped individuals are evacuated and shifted to hospital," district magistrate's office official Dharamveer Singh said.

Eyewitnesses and Student Victims

Authorities identified the injured as Tarun Kumar, 26, of Gurugram; Saika Khan, 27, from Bihar's Motihari; Neelam Yadav, 25, of Saidulajab; and Aditya Sharma, 24, of Saket. Authorities identified Kshitij Pratap, 25, of Noida; Anuj Dikshi, 25, of Saket; Aastha, 25, of Saidulajab; and Vishal, 24, of Saket.

"All we could hear were screams coming from under the rubble. There was a huge cloud of dust. When it settled, we realised that part of an adjoining structure had also been affected," a resident said.