Delhi building collapse: If scooter was any closer, we would have been under it, says eyewitness

Emergency personnel inspect the site and look for survivors after a building collapsed in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: Reuters For 18-year-old Unnayan, a first-year psychology student at Aryabhatta College, Sunday (September 6, 2026) was supposed to be the first day of his search for a more affordable place to live. Instead, it turned into a traumatic experience.Also Read : Delhi building collapse LIVEUnnayan, who came to Delhi from Bulandshahr barely a month ago, was sitting on a broker’s scooter in the Satya Niketan area when the building in front of him suddenly collapsed. He was only a few steps away.“I was right there. I just sat on the scooter, and we were about to start. The building was right in front of my eyes. It just fell,” he told The Hindu while coordinating search operations at the site that has turned into rubble.The thought that the scooter could have been closer has continued to haunt him.“If the scooter were any closer, we would have been under the building,” he said. “I am scared. My hands are shivering and I don’t know how to process this.”Unnayan had been living in a paying guest accommodation in Satya Niketan but had begun looking for a flat, as the PG was proving expensive. He was paying ₹16,000 a month for a double-sharing room that barely had any ventilation and had decided to explore other options.“This area is the most common choice for us who join DU. Today was my first day of searching for flats, and I am now scared. I don’t want to live here anymore after this,” he said.Satya Niketan, adjoining Delhi University’s South Campus, is a major student accommodation hub, with a dense concentration of paying guest accommodations and rental housing catering to students of nearby colleges. For many outstation students who do not secure hostel accommodation, the area is among the first places they turn to when looking for a place to live. Unnayan said the building appeared to be old and had several shops underneath it. Some work was also being carried out around the structure, he said.“The whole building fell suddenly. A lot of people were around the building, and they got stuck there,” he said.DU students also joined the rescue and relief efforts at the site, helping those affected by the collapse and assisting families of victims in whatever way they could. Published - September 06, 2026 06:17 pm IST