Satya Niketan Building Collapse: 3 Dead, 5 Critical as Rescue Teams Search Rubble for Trapped Students
Three students were killed and five critically injured after a nearly 50-year-old five-storey boys’ hostel collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday. Rescue teams are searching the debris, while locals claim 40-50 people may still be trapped.
A nearly 50-year-old five-storey building housing a boys’ hostel collapsed in a congested lane in Satya Niketan near Delhi University’s South Campus on Sunday afternoon, killing three students and leaving several others trapped under the debris, officials said.
The building, known as ‘Hostel Daze’, comprised a basement and five upper floors and was being used as a paying guest (PG) accommodation. The collapse occurred around 1.30 pm while repair work was underway in the basement.
Eight people have been pulled out of the rubble so far. Two were declared dead at a hospital, while a third succumbed to injuries during treatment. Five others are critical, police said.
The exact number of people trapped remains unclear. However, locals estimated that 40 to 50 people could still be trapped beneath the debris. Authorities have not confirmed the figure. Delhi Building Collapse: Videos Show People Being Rescued, Several Feared Trapped.
3 Dead, 5 Critical After 5-Storey Boys’ Hostel Collapses In Satya Niketan
#WATCH | Delhi's Satya Niketan building collapse: Additional DCP Abhimanyu Poswal says, "...So far, nine children have been rescued and taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, three of them were declared brought dead."
"Roughly around 1:30 pm, we received a PCR call that a… pic.twitter.com/tIhYqBAtQ9
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2026
Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising around 70 personnel, along with a canine squad, have been deployed for the rescue operation. Oxygen cylinders were lowered into the rubble to help people trapped inside breathe, while fire tenders have also been stationed at the site.
Locals said water had accumulated in the basement following several days of rain and claimed it may have weakened the building's foundation. A local resident also said construction work was underway in the basement before the structure collapsed. Delhi Building Collapse: Multi-Storey Structure Collapses in Satya Niketan, Several Feared Trapped (Video).
The area around Satya Niketan is densely populated, with narrow lanes lined with eateries and PG accommodations largely catering to students. The cramped roads have made it difficult for rescue vehicles and emergency teams to reach the site.
Residents joined the rescue operation, using their hands and available tools to search through the rubble for survivors.
A local resident, Rajen Chhetri, said the building had around 15 rooms, with two to three students staying in each room. He said many students living in the area were from Kerala, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and studied at nearby colleges, including Motilal Nehru College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College and Sri Venkateswara College. The rent was reportedly around INR 12,000 per bed.
Chhetri claimed that water had accumulated in the basement and that the building's foundation was weak.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Lieutenant Governor Taranjeet Singh Sandhu, Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj visited the site following the collapse.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed grief over the deaths and said he spoke to the Delhi chief minister, police commissioner and National Disaster Management Authority director general regarding the situation.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda also spoke to Gupta and offered assistance, official sources said.
The Joint Commissioner of Police, New Delhi Range, DCP Southwest and Additional DCP are supervising the rescue operation. Police said the process to register an FIR is underway and teams have been formed to locate the building's owner, who is reportedly based in Gurugram.
Delhi Police said the exact number of people trapped or injured was not known yet and that further details would be shared after confirmation.
Delhi has witnessed incessant rain since Friday, with residents raising concerns about the condition and maintenance of other buildings in the locality that have been converted into PG accommodations.
A local resident, Priyanka, said many buildings in the area had been converted into boys' PGs and alleged that owners often failed to maintain the properties.
Authorities have urged locals and onlookers to stay away from the collapse site. Paramilitary personnel have also been deployed to ensure ambulances and rescue vehicles can move without obstruction.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 06, 2026 08:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
