169 killed in building collapses in capital in five years; nearly 8,000 across the country

New Delhi: 06/09/2026:Rescue operation underway after a building collapsed near Satya Niketan at South-West Delhi, in New Delhi on September 06, 2026. Photo by: / The Hindu | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap The collapse of a five-storey building in Satya Niketan in Delhi on Sunday (September 6, 2026 ), in which six people have been confirmed as dead as of Monday (September 7) morning, has turned out to be yet another grim reminder of laxity in cracking down on buildings violating safety norms.While incidents like the one in Satya Niketan have caught the public’s attention because of the high death toll and the fact that it happened in a building that offered paying guest accommodation to students, many such isolated incidents that together kill tens of people in the National Capital Territory and several hundreds across the country go largely unnoticed.Analysis of the annual Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India reports showed that a total of 7,874 people were killed in building collapses across the country in the five years between 2020 and 2024. Delhi recorded 169 deaths in the same period.The ADSI 2024 report — the latest available from the National Crime Records Bureau — shows that while the deaths showed a marginal decline across the country, the deaths in the NCT have increased since 2020.​The ADSI includes five sub-categories under deaths due to “Collapse of structures” — ”Collapse of Dwelling House / Residential Building,” “Collapse of Official/Commercial Building,“ “Collapse of Dam,” “Collapse of Bridge,” and “Others”. The data discussed in this article excludes the numbers reported under the collapse of dam and bridge categories.Uttar Pradesh, the most populous State in the country, recorded the highest number of 223 deaths due to building collapses in 2024, followed by the more urbanised and second most populous Maharashtra (as per Census 2011) with 220 deaths. The chart below shows the 15 States and UTs that reported the highest number of deaths due to building collapses.While Delhi reported the 12th highest number of deaths (42) in the country in 2024, the deaths recurring every year in the capital are more worrying when seen in relation to its population.Deaths from building collapses per million population, calculated using mid-year population estimates from the ADSI reports, show that Delhi recorded the second- or third-highest deaths per million population in 2022, 2023, and 2024.​While the ADSI report for 2025 is yet to be out, a compilation of incidents reported in the media showed that at least 70 people have died in 20 incidents since January 2025. The map below shows the incidents reported in the media since 2024, including the one in Satya Niketan on Sunday.​Acting in a predictable haste, as most government agencies do after such incidents that spark public outrage, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, responding to the Satya Niketan building collapse, has said that it will seal all illegal five-storey and taller buildings “immediately”.However, data discussed in this article indicates that the underlying systemic problem demands well-thought-out long-term strategies that keep in mind the growing need for affordable housing to end such avoidable deaths.​(With inputs from Gauri Singavarapu and Gandla Sneha, who are interning with The Hindu’s Data team) Published - September 07, 2026 04:14 pm IST