At least six people are confirmed dead, and six others are recovering in hospital after a five-storey residential building collapsed in the Indian capital, Delhi. More students are still feared trapped inside the rubble.
The tragedy struck around 1:30 pm local time on Sunday in the crowded Satya Niketan neighborhood. The building, known locally as Hostel Daze, was housing dozens of university students when it suddenly gave way. Eyewitnesses described the terrifying moment of impact as sounding “like the rumble of an earthquake.”
“We rushed out immediately; there was a lot of smoke and dust here,” one nearby shopkeeper told local media. “Some bodies were recovered, and they also rescued four students who were still breathing.” In the chaotic aftermath, rescuers reported hearing students crying out from under the heavy debris, pleading, “Save us, save us!”
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that the collapse was caused by an “accumulation of water, combined with ongoing repair work in the basement.” By Monday morning, officials reported that approximately 80% of the debris had been cleared, with only the basement rubble remaining. Twelve people have been recovered in total so far, with the six survivors receiving stable medical treatment at a local hospital.
As a precaution, an adjacent building has been evacuated and is slated for demolition. Police have registered a criminal case against the owner of Hostel Daze and are actively searching for him to face charges.
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But for student advocates, this tragedy was entirely preventable. The National Students’ Union of India demanded a full investigation, warning that “negligence with the safety of students and common people will not be tolerated.” Local representatives note that the Satya Niketan area is severely overcrowded, housing students from five different colleges in dilapidated buildings. “No inspections are conducted. There are no rules or guidelines here,” one official noted.
The heavy machinery has cleared most of the visible rubble, but the desperate search for any remaining survivors continues in the basement. For the families waiting for news, the focus is no longer on the politics of urban planning. It is on the young lives lost in a building that was supposed to be their safe home.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
