NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday expressed grief over the building collapse in Delhi’s Satya Niketan, urging the NDRF, Delhi Fire Service and other rescue teams to make every possible effort to reach those trapped under the debris. One person has died, two are in critical condition and several others are feared trapped following the collapse, officials said.Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, said: ” The news of the building collapse in Satya Niketan, Delhi, is extremely heartbreaking and alarming. Reports indicate that several people are trapped under the debris, including many students from Delhi University. My appeal is that NDRF, Delhi Fire Service, and all rescue teams reach every single student by making every possible effort, ensuring that the injured receive the best possible immediate treatment, so that no effort is spared in saving anyone.““Congress and NSUI workers are present at the scene and are ready to provide every possible assistance. In this hour of difficulty, we all stand with the victims and their families. Students’ lives were already filled with struggles—now the situation has turned life-threatening. Due to the lack of good hostels in colleges or universities, students are forced to live in PG accommodations, 40-40 at a time under one roof, in inhumane conditions. Every student’s life is precious, and their protection must be ensured under all circumstances,” Rahul added. A five-storey building being used as a boys’ paying guest accommodation collapsed in the Satya Niketan area of South-West Delhi at around 1.30 pm on Sunday, triggering a major search and rescue operation in the densely populated neighbourhood near Delhi University’s South Campus.Officials said one person was killed in the collapse, while two others were critically injured. Several people were initially feared trapped beneath the rubble as rescue personnel searched through the debris.JCB machines were deployed at the site to clear the collapsed structure and assist emergency teams in reaching those who may have been trapped.Delhi Police said the exact number of people trapped or injured was not immediately known. Multiple people were rescued and shifted to hospitals as the search operation continued.The building, located in an area lined with student accommodations, paying guest facilities and eateries, collapsed along narrow and densely populated lanes, making rescue operations challenging.
Building was being used as PG
According to Delhi Police, a local enquiry found that the structure was around 40 to 50 years old and comprised a basement and five upper floors. It was being used as a PG accommodation.“From the local enquiry, it came to knowledge that this was a 40–50-year-old building, comprising a basement and five upper floors, and it was used as a PG accommodation. Repair work was underway in the basement when the incident occurred,” the Delhi Police stated.The Delhi Fire Department received an alert about the collapse at around 1.30 pm, following which emergency personnel and rescue teams were rushed to the site.The rescue operation remained underway as teams continued to remove debris and search for survivors.Congress demands immediate actionCongress leader Abhishek Dutt described the incident as deeply distressing and called for immediate assistance to the victims and their families.“The issue far more significant than the election itself is the manner in which children are losing their lives here and how buildings in Delhi keep collapsing like this,” Dutt told ANI.He described the loss of lives as “deeply tragic” and called on the government to support the victims’ families and take steps to prevent similar incidents.“Right now, the focus must be on helping the children and their families,” he said.
Kejriwal calls collapse alarming
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also described the incident as “extremely tragic and alarming” and urged the Delhi government to take large-scale measures to improve public safety.“The incident of the building collapse in Satya Niketan, Delhi, is extremely tragic and alarming. I pray to God that the people trapped in the debris are rescued safely and quickly. Due to the government’s negligence in Delhi, many such accidents have already occurred. The government must wake up from its slumber. There is a need to take large-scale action to ensure the safety of citizens.”AAP MP Atishi demanded urgent relief operations and a high-level inquiry into the collapse.“The news of the building collapse at Satya Niketan in Delhi’s Moti Bagh is extremely heartbreaking and alarming. The apprehension that several people, including students, are trapped under the debris is deeply distressing. We appeal to the administration to carry out relief and rescue operations with utmost promptness and to safely extricate all those trapped under the rubble.”She added, “The government must conduct a high-level investigation into this incident and ensure strict action against those responsible for negligence, so that such painful tragedies can be prevented in the future.”AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that unchecked illegal construction and corruption had contributed to repeated building-related incidents in Delhi.“Just a few days ago, you saw a four-story building collapse in Saket. It took the government and the MCD a whole week to admit it was a four-story building. Initially, they kept claiming it had only two floors… I am telling you about this case here as well. An illegal PG facility was operating in a four-story building… A basement was being illegally excavated there during the monsoon season,” Bharadwaj told ANI.
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He further alleged lapses involving multiple departments, saying, “Unless you go beyond the ‘small fish’ and target the ‘big crocodiles’—the DC, the Commissioner, the one who was walking his dog in the stadium- this will keep happening… Previously, only the MCD was taking bribes. But for the past year, the MCD, the Fire Department, and the SDM/DM departments have all been taking bribes.”AAP leader and former Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi also criticised the Delhi government and the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi over alleged safety violations.“Sometimes buildings are collapsing, sometimes fire incidents are shaking Delhi. The tragic accident in Satya Niketan is yet another proof of the BJP’s dilapidated governance system and the failure of the BJP-ruled MCD. No action against illegal constructions, no adherence to safety rules, and no accountability either. Why should the people of Delhi pay the price for these accidents with their lives?”
