Rescue teams are still digging through rubble a day after a five‑storey residential building collapsed in south‑west Delhi, killing at least seven people. Authorities say 12 people were taken to hospital, while others remain under treatment.
It is still unclear how many people were inside the building, Hostel Daze, when it came down around 1:30pm local time (08:00 GMT) on Sunday. Eyewitnesses told local media that between two and four dozen people may have been inside, but officials have not confirmed numbers, reports BBC.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the collapse was caused by “accumulation of water, combined with ongoing repair work in the basement.” The building stood in Satya Niketan, close to Delhi University’s south campus, where five colleges are located. Most residents were students, many of whom were in their rooms as there were no classes on Sunday.
By Monday morning, Gupta said, “approximately 80% of the debris had been cleared,” with only rubble from the basement remaining.
The site has been cordoned off, with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams in bright orange uniforms working alongside excavators. Crews used electric saws to cut through iron grills and layers of steel and concrete. Mattresses and personal belongings lay scattered under debris, while the smell of burning metal filled the air.
There is no confirmation yet on whether more people remain trapped. Hospital officials have not clarified if the casualties were students, residents, or labourers working in the basement.
Witnesses described the collapse as sounding “like the rumble of an earthquake.” One shopkeeper told ANI news agency that “the entire building had collapsed” and that he heard students crying out “save us, save us” from under the rubble. Some trapped students reportedly made phone calls from beneath the debris.
Gupta said an adjacent building had been evacuated as a precaution and local media reported it would be demolished on Monday. “Every possible effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped,” she added.
Delhi Police said the building was only 40–50 years old. A nearby shop owner told ANI it was under a 100‑year lease and that excavation work had been undertaken in the basement to expand the hostel and increase income.
A civic official said that incessant rain may have weakened the structure, while repair or excavation work could also have contributed, Times of India reported. “At this stage, however, it is difficult to establish the exact cause,” he said.
Police have registered a case against the building’s owner and are searching for him.
