Video calls from rubble; saviour table: Delhi building collapse rescue mission marked by hope, loss

The desperate cries and phone calls of students trapped beneath the rubble helped guide rescue teams after a 50-year-old boys' paying guest building near Delhi University's South Campus collapsed on Sunday afternoon, killing six people.

As dust and panic engulfed the Satya Niketan building collapse site, those trapped beneath the debris used their mobile phones to alert friends and rescuers. Their calls became a crucial link with the outside world as rescue operations continued.

Student makes video call from beneath rubble

For one student, being buried alive became a terrifying reality. Covered in dust and blood, he lay trapped in a cramped space beneath heavy chunks of concrete, with barely enough room to move.

He picked up his mobile phone and made an 11-second video call to a friend to alert him.

The video offered a chilling glimpse of his ordeal. He slowly moved the phone camera around, showing the concrete chunks and twisted debris surrounding him.

He was not the only person trapped under the rubble to seek help by phone. Other students also made calls as they waited beneath the collapsed structure.

Rescue teams and local residents rushed to the site and began removing concrete and debris, in some cases using their bare hands. Meanwhile, calls continued to come from beneath the rubble, helping rescuers stay connected with those still trapped.

Official rescue teams also remained in contact with the survivors, hoping that everyone trapped inside could be brought out safely.

‘Brother, please save me’

Krishna Bhardwaj, a student from Gwalior who was in Delhi campaigning for student elections, was among the first people to reach the site.

Before police and fire personnel arrived, Krishna and his team began pulling students out of the debris. They managed to rescue four people.

But one rescue attempt has remained particularly difficult for Krishna to recall, The Hindu report said.

As he was pulling a student from the rubble, the boy held his hand and pleaded, “Bhaiya, please mujhe bacha lo” (Brother, please save me).

Krishna reassured him, saying, “You will be okay,” before pulling him out.

Krishna later learnt that the boy had not survived. Recalling the moment, he paused and sighed.

Table shields student from debris

Another student survived after a table fell over him during the collapse, shielding him from the falling structure.

Rescuers eventually located him beneath the debris. A book was found beside him as they pulled him out and administered CPR.

Eleven people had been rescued as search operations entered their second day on Monday. But for those involved in the rescue effort, the desperate pleas and phone calls from beneath the rubble remained a haunting reminder of the people still waiting to be found.