Building collapses in Delhi's Satya Niketan; rescue operations underway

A building collapsed near Satya Niketan in South-West Delhi on Sunday, with several people feared trapped under the debris, officials from Delhi Fire Service said. Two students have already been rescued by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials, according at BJP MLA Anil Sharma.The fire department received an alert around 1:30 PM.

Five fire tenders and police teams were rushed to the spot. Rescue operations are underway as fire department teams have reached the spot of building collapse in Delhi.Following the incident, emergency personnel reached the building collapse site and began efforts to ascertain the number of people trapped and the extent of damage.More details are awaited as the situation becomes clearer.Visuals of the building collapsed in Delhi's Satya Niketan areaSharma visited the accident site on Sunday afternoon.

This is a deeply tragic incident, he told reporters. There could be nothing more heartbreaking. Students come here from various places to study and stay in PGs in this building; the structure has collapsed. While it is difficult to state the exact number—whether there are five, ten, or twenty students—we know for certain that students are trapped inside.

Two students have already been rescued by the NDRF, MCD, he said.The MLA revealed that some students even made calls from within the debris, and it is feared that others are trapped inside. ...so rescue efforts are ongoing. We are praying to God, and the Chief Minister has dispatched a full team here.

The entire government is deeply concerned and focused on ensuring the students are rescued—that is our primary objective, he added.Rescue agencies working on a 'war footing'Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta issued a statement on the building collapse incident at Satya Niketan, RK Puram.Deeply concerned by the building collapse incident at Satya Niketan, RK Puram, she said, adding that teams from DDMA, NDRF, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence are carrying out rescue operations on a war footing.The authorities have vacated the adjacent building as a precautionary measure.

Every possible effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped and provide immediate assistance to the affected families. The situation is being closely monitored, and all concerned agencies are working in coordination. The safety and well-being of every citizen remain our highest priority, Gupta said.Delhi minister Ashish Sood also expressed deep concern about the building collapse near Satya Niketan in South-West Delhi.Eyewitness says building collapse sounded like 'rumble of an earthquake'An eyewitness desribed the sound of the building collapse near Satya Niketan in South-West Delhi like the rumble of an earthquake.

We were sitting inside it when we suddenly heard a sound—like the rumble of an earthquake. We rushed out immediately; there was a lot of smoke and dust here. The entire building had collapsed, he told ANI. Some bodies were recovered, and they also rescued four children who were still breathing.

Sounds are still coming from within the rubble—children crying out, Save us, save us! ... There are at least 25–30 children. There was a boys' PG and a girls' PG here nearby. 4-5 people have been rescued; 2-3 bodies have been recovered, and more are likely to be found, he stated.Delhi building collapse reasonSpeaking to news agency ANI, the eyewitness said the possible cause behind the building collapse in Satya Niketan could be weak pillars of the structure.

They were constructing a basement. They had reinforced the upper structure, but the pillars at the bottom were weak. They were renovating the building—specifically to create a rental space on the ground floor—and that caused the collapse. Laborers were working down below and got buried... he said.