Students Feared Trapped As Rescue Operation Begins In Delhi Building Collapse

A five-storey residential building in Delhi, India, has collapsed, with dozens of students feared trapped beneath the rubble.

The BBC reports that eyewitnesses said up to 50 people were inside the building in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood of south-west Delhi when it collapsed at about 13:30 local time (08:00 GMT) on Sunday.

At least one person has died while two others are in critical condition, according to NDTV, citing local police. Six people have reportedly been rescued so far.

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The building, known as Hostel Daze, is located close to the Delhi University campus and had been undergoing construction work in its basement before the collapse.

Many of the students living in the hostel were believed to have been inside their rooms when the building came down, as there were no classes on Sunday.

A member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly who was at the scene said some of the trapped students had managed to make calls from beneath the debris.

Eyewitnesses also reported that another building adjacent to the hostel had collapsed.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the neighbouring building had been evacuated “as a precautionary measure”.

“Every possible effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped,” she added.

Delhi Police said the collapsed building was between 40 and 50 years old.

The owner of a nearby shop told the news agency ANI that the property was under a 100-year lease and that the leaseholder had carried out excavation work in the basement to generate more income.

“They strengthened the upper building, but the pillars below were weak,” he said, adding that construction workers were also among those buried in the collapse.

The National Students’ Union of India called for an investigation into the cause of the incident and urged authorities to hold anyone found responsible accountable.

“Negligence with the safety of students and common people will not be tolerated at any cost,” it said.

Police are searching for the owner of the building, according to the Times of India.