Saket To Satya Niketan: 16 killed In 5 Building Collapses In Delhi This year

The five-storey building that collapsed in Satya Niketan is the fifth in the city this year, the seven people killed in the congested colony near Delhi’s University’s South Campus taking to 16 the number of those who lost their lives in the tragedies.

According to official figures and police statements, the 16 deaths have come from three incidents - six in Saket in May, three in Rohini in July and seven in the latest incident on September 6.

The underlying factors leading to the collapse of all the buildings are common, said officials. These include unregulated and unauthorised construction, additional floors, ageing structures and a lack of structural assessments. Add to the list inadequate precautions during repair work and monsoon-related water damage to foundations, walls and basements and the picture of negligence is complete.

On May 30, a multi-storey commercial building housing a coaching centre, cafes and offices in south Delhi’s Saket area crumbled like a house of cards. Like in Satya Niketan, most of the six killed were students. Eight people were injured.

A magisterial inquiry ordered by the Delhi government later held the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) "primarily responsible" for the collapse.

It found that illegal third and fourth floors had been added to the building and that the civic body failed to act on a complaint about the unauthorised construction received more than two months earlier. The inquiry also found that MCD officials created "fabricated" records after the collapse to suggest they had already taken action. The MCD suspended two engineers, while police arrested the building owner and two contractors.

On July 8, a four-storey building under construction collapsed in Rohini's Sector 16 amid heavy rain, killing three people and burying others under the debris. The MCD said the structure had received sanctioned building plans under the SARAL Scheme, which allows automatic clearance and building permits through a self-verified undertaking submitted by property owners through certified architects or engineers. It said plumbing work involving the cutting of structural beams and columns may have contributed to the collapse.

The other two incidents caused injuries and damage but resulted in no deaths. On June 2, a single-storey house operating as an illegal utensil-colouring factory collapsed in Mukundpur in north Delhi following an LPG cylinder blast. Eleven workers were trapped and injured, one of them critically.

The following day, a four-floor building in north east Delhi’s Karawal Nagar gave way after cracks appeared during repair work on a drain nearby. Fortunately, all residents had been evacuated beforehand.

After the Satya Niketan collapse, the MCD has suspended five officials. The civic body also directed its executive engineers (building) across all zones to inspect structures under their jurisdiction and submit comprehensive reports by September 10.

The order also states that additional commissioners in each zone will personally monitor and supervise the inspections and report submissions.