Our Bureau
New Delhi
Seven people were killed and 12 rescued after a five-storey building housing a paying guest accommodation collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area on Sunday afternoon. The 27-hour search and rescue operation concluded on Monday evening after teams cleared the debris and found no further survivors, officials said. Five of those injured are undergoing treatment.
The building, located near Delhi University’s South Campus, collapsed while repair work was reportedly being carried out. The structure was around 50 years old, raising questions about its structural condition, maintenance and compliance with building safety norms. Preliminary reports have also pointed to ongoing work in the building and possible water accumulation as factors that may have weakened the structure.
Rescue operations continued through the night, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Fire Service, police and other agencies working through layers of concrete and rubble. Earth-moving equipment and sniffer dogs were deployed to search for people who might still have been trapped.
Authorities have initiated action following the collapse. An FIR has been registered against the building’s owner, while a magisterial inquiry has been ordered to investigate the circumstances leading to the disaster. The property owner, Hariram Gupta has been arrested in the case. Five Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials have also been suspended amid allegations of negligence.
The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of old and illegally modified buildings in Delhi, particularly properties used as student hostels and paying guest accommodations. The collapse has also intensified scrutiny of construction and maintenance practices in densely populated areas.