Delhi CM meets injured students, hands aid to kin; building contractor held in U.P.

CM Rekha Gupta interacted with the kin of the students injured in the Sept. 6 collapse. | Photo Credit: ANI Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the AIIMS Trauma Centre on Tuesday and interacted with the families of the five students being treated at the facility for injuries sustained in the September 6 building collapse in Satya Niketan.The CM spoke to doctors about the students’ treatment and assured the families that the government would extend all possible assistance, as per a statement from the CM’s Office. She told the families that the government would bear the full cost of the treatment and handed over compensation of ₹5 lakh each to the families. Later in the day, Ms. Gupta ordered the demolition of a dilapidated building adjacent to the collapsed structure. The adjoining building had emerged as a safety concern during the rescue operation after Delhi Fire Services (DFS) personnel found that it had tilted, said an official. A view of the building flagged as unsafe and marked for demolition. | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP Meanwhile, a senior police officer said they had apprehended the contractor, Sanoj, who was working at the site before the collapse, from Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh. He is being brought to Delhi for questioning, the officer added.Continuing its crackdown on illegal structures, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi carried out a demolition drive against 17 properties across the national capital on Tuesday and sealed five properties.15 demolition ordersThe civic body had issued 15 demolition orders and nine show-cause notices over illegal constructions on Monday.An illegal excavation in the basement of the five-storey structure may have triggered its collapse, as per DFS’s preliminary assessment. “The building was constructed as a ground-plus-two structure in 1970. Other floors were added to it in 1990,” said a fire department official.Chief Fire Officer A.K. Malik said the original structure did not have columns and beams and relied on load-bearing walls.The additional floors increased the load on a foundation that had been designed for the original structure, while a basement was being excavated beneath the building.“They were digging a basement within a building when it was already occupied. The additional floors and the basement are anyway illegal, but the building should have at least been vacated if they wanted to carry out work,” Mr. Malik said.Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood held an interaction with students at the Secretariat on Tuesday. He told students that a new comprehensive policy to regulate PG facilities will be introduced within a couple of months. Published - September 09, 2026 12:43 am IST