New Delhi: At least three students were killed and several others are feared trapped after a five-storey building housing a boys’ paying guest (PG) accommodation collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area on Sunday afternoon, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.
The building, locally known as ‘Hostel Daze’, collapsed at around 1.30 pm in the congested student-dominated locality near Delhi University’s South Campus. Police said the structure was around 40-50 years old and comprised a basement and five upper floors.
WATCH || A five-storey PG building collapsed in Delhi’s #SatyaNiketan area on Saturday. Nine students have been rescued and taken to hospital, with three declared dead and others critical. Rescue operations are underway. @AkshayDongare_ reports. pic.twitter.com/Mh9vgnMqC7
— DD India (@DDIndialive) September 6, 2026
According to the latest reports, at least nine people have been rescued, while three others died. Earlier PTI reports said eight people had been pulled from the debris, with two declared dead at hospital and a third dying during treatment. The number of people still trapped has not been officially confirmed.
Local residents, however, estimated that 30 to 50 people could still be under the rubble, although officials have cautioned that the figure has not been verified. The building was reportedly a 75-bed PG accommodation, with around 15 rooms and multiple students sharing rooms.
INDIA STUDENT HOSTEL COLLAPSES — DOZENS TRAPPED under RUBBLE
MASSIVE CONCRETE SLAB CRUSHES DOWN on 1 TRAPPED PERSON
AT LEAST 3 DEAD, 3 CRITICAL pic.twitter.com/Vg8LhtqZJQ
— RT (@RT_com) September 6, 2026
Basement Work Under Scanner
Police said repair work was underway in the basement when the building collapsed. Residents also claimed that water had accumulated in the basement following days of rain and may have weakened the structure’s foundation. However, authorities have not yet established the cause of the collapse, and the allegations about water weakening the foundation remain unverified.
The building’s owner has been identified as Anand Bansal, a Gurugram resident, and police have initiated the process of registering an FIR while teams were formed to trace him, according to reports.
Multi-Agency Rescue Operation
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, Delhi Disaster Management Authority, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence were deployed to the site. At least 12 fire tenders were pressed into service in the continuing operation, while oxygen cylinders were supplied to people believed to be trapped beneath the debris.
Two NDRF teams comprising around 70 personnel, along with a canine squad, were also deployed to search for survivors. Local residents joined the rescue effort as emergency teams worked through the concrete debris in the narrow lanes.
An adjoining building was evacuated as a precautionary measure amid concerns over safety in the densely packed locality.
PM Modi, Delhi CM Express Grief
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the families of those killed and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the site and reviewed the rescue operation, while Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu directed agencies to coordinate closely in the rescue effort.
The incident has also renewed concerns over the safety and maintenance of ageing buildings and the mushrooming of PG accommodations in the densely populated Satya Niketan area.
Delhi Police said the exact number of people trapped or injured was still not known, stressing that further details would be released as they were confirmed. Rescue operations were continuing late Sunday evening.
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