Six Dead After Delhi Building Collapse; Residents Point To Waterlogging, Lack Of Repairs

A 50-year-old multi-storey building in southwest Delhi's Satya Niketan collapsed around 1.30 pm on Sunday, leaving six people dead and 11 rescued from the debris. The building housed a boys' paying guest accommodation near Delhi University's South Campus.

Rescue teams from Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, the National Disaster Response Force and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority worked through the night. "One more person was rescued during the night but was brought dead, taking the toll to six," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Amit Goel told PTI on Monday.

Police have registered a case against the building owner and others and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered. Goel said efforts were continuing to trace the persons allegedly connected with the incident, while police had earlier informed on Sunday night that three people had died and that five of the nine rescued were critical.

Residents Cite Neglect

Residents blamed long-running waterlogging, unchecked construction and what they called the "apathy" of building owners and civic agencies around the site. They said incessant rain over the past two days had worsened water accumulation in the area just as repair and construction work was under way in the basement.

They also said 30-40 students were believed to have been trapped when the building came down. Residents alleged that an MCD office stands next to the collapsed building.

Locals pointed to an earlier collapse nearby. They said a building in a lane behind the site, which was under construction for use as a girls' PG, had collapsed around two years ago and had remained in the same condition since then.

One local said, "New academic session mein repaint karte hain (they only repaint the building at the start of the academic session), so how will we know and find out if a building is dilapidated? MCD koi inspection nahi karti."

The area draws students each year. Residents said many come from outside Delhi looking for cheaper accommodation near South Campus, but many owners no longer live there and do not monitor the condition of their properties.

Students And Structure

The building's layout emerged from local accounts. Residents said it had a basement and five upper floors, with boys staying on the first and second floors and girls on the third floor, while the ground floor housed a mess and construction work was under way in the basement.

Ram, a UPSC aspirant who had gone to a nearby laundry, told PTI that some students were still calling friends for help after the collapse. "We have been told around 30 people could still be trapped. I heard a loud rumbling sound and immediately ran towards the spot. Police officials arrived soon after," Ram said.

Police informed PTI that the building was 50 years old. A local said the owner was Hari Ram Bansal, who now lives in Gurugram and had moved there from Satya Niketan around 20 years ago.

Another local said, "The hostel was always full. So many people could still be trapped under the debris. The lanes are very congested, so it was difficult for rescue vehicles to arrive at the scene faster."

The same local also said, "Some work was going on in the basement and a wall was being removed. Bansal keeps visiting the property." Another resident said the building had around 15 rooms and that two to three students stayed in each one.

Weekend Narrow Escape

Rain and congestion shaped the rescue effort. A local said, "Labourers were working in the basement even during the rain. Waterlogging is common in the basements of buildings here, and they could also be trapped."

Residents also alleged that debris was not being cleared properly and that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi did not conduct regular inspections of buildings in the area. PTI reported that these allegations could not be independently verified immediately.

Priyanka, who said she had lived in the area for 20-22 years, linked the collapse to a wider pattern in Satya Niketan. She said, "Buildings here are being constructed up to five-six floors. Many houses have been converted into boys' PGs, with the owners shifting elsewhere. They simply name the properties as PGs, take the rent online and leave the area without even checking back."

Priyanka also said, "I have not seen any maintenance work being carried out. The whole of Satya Niketan is full of PGs. Hardly 30 per cent of the houseowners actually live here."

Priyanka also said, "Even the gutters and sewers here are open. There were many students trapped inside the building. Since it was raining, most of them were in their rooms, while some had gone home as it was the weekend."

An eyewitness said the toll could have been higher on a working day because many students from nearby areas had gone home for the weekend.