New Delhi: Suspected basement repair work and rainwater build-up are being examined as possible factors after a five-storey boys’ hostel caved in on Sunday in south Delhi’s Satya Niketan, leaving at least five dead and several injured.
Neighbours said work was going on in the basement and that water had collected there after days of rain, but the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said it could not verify either claim until the rubble is cleared.
Violations Flagged, Probe Pending
Locally called “Hostel Daze”, the nearly 30-year-old structure stood on a 55-square-yard plot in a resettlement colony. Civic authorities said permissions in the area allow only a ground-plus-one building, but the collapsed block had four upper floors, breaching sanctioned norms, as reported by The New Indian Express.
MCD Deputy Commissioner (South) Rakesh Kumar said crews were still clearing debris before any firm conclusion could be reached on basement activity. “The debris had not yet been cleared and there was no way to ascertain whether any such work was taking place,” he said.
He added: “Sealing operations were already going on in this area and now further strict action will be taken.”
Illegal PGs Crowd Collapse Zone
The collapse happened in a cramped lane near Delhi University’s South Campus on Sunday afternoon. Officials pointed to a proliferation of unauthorised paying guest houses and hostels in the area, making enforcement difficult.
Rescue teams from Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service and other agencies worked through the day. Two NDRF teams of about 70 personnel, along with a canine squad, were deployed, and oxygen cylinders were lowered into the debris in case anyone was still trapped.
Authorities did not confirm how many people were under the rubble. Residents, however, said several could still be inside; some media reports quoted locals claiming around 40 might be trapped.
Adjoining Building Sealed, Tenants Evacuated
The MCD also evacuated and sealed an adjoining building after finding it in a dilapidated state. Kumar said all occupants, including those in a girls’ PG, were shifted to a nearby community hall and that the structure would be demolished.
“The structure next to the collapsed building appears to be in a dilapidated condition. It has been sealed and will be demolished. All the tenants in the next building have been shifted to the nearest community hall,” Kumar said.
He noted that two hydra machines, four JCBs, around half-a-dozen pickup trucks and 30–40 MCD staff were pressed into service for rescue and clearance.
When questioned about basement repair work, Kumar said, “the debris had not yet been cleared and there was no way to ascertain whether any such work was taking place.” “Sealing operations were already going on in this area and now further strict action will be taken,” he added.
By Sunday night, at least five people were confirmed dead, several others were injured, and rescue teams continued searching the wreckage in the densely built Satya Niketan locality.