South Delhi building collapse: Death toll rises to 5 as rescue operation continues

New Delhi: The death toll in the Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi rose to five on Sunday, with Delhi Police saying an FIR will be registered shortly and raids are underway to apprehend those accused in the case.

The JPN Apex Trauma Centre at AIIMS received 10 injured people from the collapse site, the hospital said in a statement.

"Four were brought dead, while one patient who was in critical condition later succumbed to his injuries. Three patients have been admitted and are being treated. One patient underwent a surgery of limb, and another who had sustained a minor injury was discharged after observation," AIIMS said.

Police registered a case against building owner Hariram and others at the South Campus Police Station on charges including culpable homicide, negligence in the upkeep of a structure and endangering the safety of others.

"The building was a PG. It is alleged that renovation work was being undertaken at the Ground Floor, which led to the collapse of the building. Multiple teams have been formed to trace the alleged persons," the police said.

Rescue personnel continued searching through the rubble late into the night, while local residents joined the operation, using their hands and available tools to look for people buried underneath.

Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising 70 personnel, along with a canine squad, were deployed to search for signs of life. Oxygen cylinders were also sent beneath the debris to help those trapped breathe.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), CATS and Civil Defence were involved in the rescue operation.

The rescue effort intensified after distressing visuals emerged showing students trapped beneath the debris using their mobile phones to call for help.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was visiting Goa, cancelled his trip and returned to Delhi following the incident.

Shah spoke to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the police commissioner and the NDRF director general to take stock of the rescue operation.

"The local administration and the NDRF are conducting intensive rescue operations in close coordination. The injured are being provided with all necessary medical assistance. Praying for the speedy recovery of all those injured," he said.

Gupta visited the collapse site and met injured victims at the AIIMS trauma centre. The chief minister assured that strict action would be taken against those responsible, while her office said the government was in contact with the families of the injured students and providing them necessary assistance.

The building collapsed around 1.30 pm while repair work was reportedly underway on its ground floor.

Locals claimed that water had accumulated in the basement following several days of rain and may have weakened the building's foundation, contributing to the collapse.

According to a senior MCD official, the five-storey structure, which housed a boys' hostel, was nearly 30 years old. It was a ground floor-plus-five (G+4) structure built on a 55-square-yard plot in a resettlement colony where permission was originally granted only for a G+1 building.

The MCD evacuated tenants from an adjoining building housing a women's PG and subsequently sealed the premises.

The locality has narrow and congested lanes lined with eateries and numerous PG accommodations, many of which cater to students.

Residents said a large number of students in the area were from Kerala, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and studied mainly at Motilal Nehru College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College and Sri Venkateswara College, located across the road.

Residents also expressed concerns over the condition and maintenance of other buildings in the area, saying several houses had been converted into PG accommodations.

Priyanka, who has lived in the locality for more than two decades, said, "Buildings here are being constructed up to five-six floors."

Police advised residents and onlookers to stay away from the collapse site as rescue operations continued.

Paramilitary personnel were deployed to ensure ambulances could move freely through the area.