‘Most students would be inside’: Locals after boys’ PG collapses in Delhi's Satya Niketan

Locals and witnesses also joined the rescue operation, using their hands and whatever equipment was available to clear the debris. A rescue operation is underway after a building, believed to be a boys' PG, collapsed in south Delhi's Satya Niketan area on Sunday. Several people are feared trapped beneath the debris, with locals saying that students are trapped inside the collapsed building.Police said the exact number of people who may be trapped or injured is not known at present. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)A preliminary inquiry suggests that around 40-50 people may have been inside the building when it collapsed, a police official at the spot told HT. Follow live updates here.Three people are reported to be injured so far. In a statement, AIIMS Delhi sources said that three patients have been admitted to the trauma centre following the building collapse. All three are in critical condition.Delhi building collapse: Rescue ops underwayEmergency teams reached the site after the collapse and began work to determine how many people may be trapped and to assess the damage caused by the incident.Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta said she was “deeply concerned” by the incident and said rescue teams were working “on a war footing”.She said teams from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Delhi Fire Services, the Delhi Police, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS), and the Civil Defence are involved in the rescue operation. She added that the building next to the collapsed structure was evacuated as a precaution.Police said the exact number of people who may be trapped or injured is not known at present.Locals and witnesses also joined the rescue operation, using their hands and whatever equipment was available to clear the debris and look for people who may be trapped underneath, visuals from the site showed.Witness accounts of Delhi building collapseAccording to locals, the collapsed building was a boys' PG.An eyewitness told news agency ANI that the building was called 'Hostel Daze' and was a dedicated boys' PG. However, there is no official confirmation of this so far.“The adjacent building also collapsed... All the students who were inside their rooms got trapped under the rubble,” the eyewitness said, adding that rescue operations are underway.(With inputs from Hemani Bhandari, Paras Singh and agencies)Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More