A catastrophic structural collapse occurred near the Shiv Mandir in Delhi’s Satya Niketan neighbourhood on Sunday afternoon, leaving dozens of individuals, including young children and students, feared trapped under piles of rubble.
The Delhi Fire Services was alerted to the incident at 1:33pm. First responders reached the disaster site by 1:50pm to initiate emergency search operations, reports Times of India.
Specialist units, including Search and Rescue, Water Bowser, and Breathing Apparatus teams, have been mobilised to search for survivors.
A local shopkeeper who witnessed the disaster recounted hearing a sudden, deafening noise reminiscent of an earthquake. Upon rushing outside, he observed that the entire structure had collapsed amidst a dense cloud of dust and smoke.
According to this witness, distress cries of “save us, save us!” were audible from beneath the wreckage. Although rescue personnel managed to pull out four breathing children, the witness estimated that between 25 and 30 children, alongside construction labourers working on-site and local fruit sellers, were feared buried.
He noted the presence of nearby accommodation facilities for male and female students, adding that four to five individuals had been saved while two to three bodies had been retrieved from the ruins.
The shopkeeper further claimed that the building was undergoing extensive structural alterations, including the excavation of a basement and the creation of commercial rental space on the ground floor.
He alleged that the upper levels had been strengthened while the foundational columns remained weak, suggesting this renovation triggered the disaster. These assertions have not been independently confirmed.
A second eyewitness identified the collapsed property as “Hostel Daze”, a five-storey residential building serving as a boys’ paying guest (PG) facility.
He said a neighbouring structure had also come down, trapping the students who were inside their quarters. “The precise number of residents trapped will only be determined once the official registration logs are reviewed,” he explained.
Anil Kumar Sharma, the RK Puram BJP MLA, who arrived at the scene, confirmed that numerous student residents of the PG accommodation were feared trapped.
He reported that two children had been successfully extricated and transported to a medical facility. Sharma also revealed that some victims trapped underneath the debris were actively making telephone calls to seek help as emergency agencies continued their coordinated rescue efforts.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing at the site.
