A Sunday that started just like any other day in Delhi’s Satya Niketan, a residential hub housing several Delhi University students, turned tragic when a five-storey building came crushing down at around 1.30 pm, killing at least seven people, injuring dozens, and trapping several others as figures continue to rise amid uncertainty.
When the building, which was being used as a boys paying guest accommodation, collapsed, it was the students and locals around the collapse site who became the first responders and started digging through the debris to rescue people as relief teams were still on their way. “Later, when the rescue team arrived after an hour or so, they took over, and we were asked to step aside. When the trapped victims were being rescued initially, they were alive. However, regarding those rescued an hour and a half or two hours later, the news that came in—or what was learned at the hospital—indicated fatalities… Then, cranes and JCBs arrived. As they started clearing the debris, everyone was moved aside. The police took charge and pushed the crowd back,” he added. This comes after a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him as he absconded after the collapse. He is currently in custody as probe goes on.
The building that collapsed was between 40 and 50 years old, according to officers.
The locals said that some construction work was being carried out in the basement of the building when the collapse happened. Another student, Surjeet, who also lives in Satya Niketan said that the rescue teams of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service, and others arrived over an hour after the collapse and till then, students and locals rushed to the site to rescue people.
