What happened inside Delhi’s collapsed hostel? Rescue effort continues

The rescue operation following a building collapse in New Delhi entered its second day on Monday as emergency teams continued searching through the rubble for people who may still be trapped

The rescue operation following a building collapse in New Delhi entered its second day on Monday as emergency teams continued searching through the rubble for people who may still be trapped.

The five-storey building, which housed a boys’ paying guest hostel collapsed in the Satya Niketan area of the Indian capital around noon on Sunday prompting a large-scale rescue operation involving multiple emergency teams.

According to a statement from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi six people had died in the incident by Monday.

National Disaster Response Force officer Narendra Bundela said five people had been admitted to hospitals, while one body was still waiting to be recovered from the debris.

Delhi Police said the building was around 40 to 50 years old and that repair work was being carried out in the basement when the collapse occurred.

Authorities are continuing to assess the situation as rescuers work through the remaining rubble. Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said around 85% of the debris had been cleared.

However, officials said it was still unclear whether anyone else remained trapped. Sirsa said information had been received that a worker might still be underneath the rubble.

Following the incident, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ordered an inquiry into the collapse and directed authorities to take action against the building’s owner if responsibility is established.

Gupta said those found responsible for the incident would face strict legal action.

Eyewitnesses had earlier reported that more than a dozen people were feared trapped beneath the collapsed structure, raising concerns about the possible number of casualties as rescue teams continued their search.

The Delhi hostel collapse has once again raised concerns over the safety and structural condition of ageing buildings in Indian cities.

Several building collapses have caused fatalities across India this year. In July, six people including five children, died when a building collapsed in Mumbai following heavy monsoon rainfall.

In April, seven people were killed after a wall at a hospital complex collapsed in Bengaluru. Earlier in the year, another residential building collapse in New Delhi reportedly killed at least 11 people, including three children.

Authorities are expected to investigate the condition of the Satya Niketan building, the ongoing repair work and whether safety regulations were followed before the collapse.