Satya Niketan building collapse: Trapped student's call raises rescue delay questions

A Bihar student trapped in a collapsed South Delhi PG called home from under the rubble before being rescued alive. His survival and his family's questions have intensified scrutiny of the delayed rescue and the building's safety.Delhi building collapse: Rescue operation at the Satya Niketan building collapse siteA 20-year-old first-year BCom student from Bihar was among those trapped after a five-storey paying guest accommodation in southwest Delhi's Satya Niketan collapsed on Sunday. Buried under the rubble, Aditya managed to call his sister and tell her that he was trapped and that his phone battery was about to die. He was eventually rescued alive and is being treated at AIIMS. But for his family, the relief of hearing his voice soon turned into anxiety as they waited for nearly four hours before he was brought out.ADITYA HAD MOVED INTO THE PG JUST FOUR DAYS AGOAditya had come to Delhi around two months ago and had initially been staying in Laxmi Nagar. He moved into the boys' PG accommodation in Satya Niketan just four days before the building collapsed.His father, Raju Kumar, who works at a post office in Patna, said Aditya called his sister around 2 pm, shortly after the building came down at around 1.30 pm.Aditya told his sister that he was trapped under the debris and asked his family to save him. The family was initially relieved that Aditya was alive and had managed to contact them. But the wait for his rescue soon became distressing.'WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG TO RESCUE HIM?'According to his father, Aditya remained conscious and continued calling out for help while trapped beneath the rubble. Raju questioned why it took rescuers nearly four hours to bring his son out.Aditya had been staying on the top floor of the building. His father believes this may have helped him survive the collapse as he was not buried as deep under the debris.The family is now left with questions about the rescue operation, particularly because Aditya was conscious and had managed to make a phone call from beneath the collapsed structure.STUDENT RECORDED VIDEO FROM UNDER THE RUBBLEWhile waiting for help, Aditya also recorded a video from inside the debris. The video showed the cramped conditions in which he and at least one other person were trapped.In the video, blood could be seen on the side of a student's dust-covered face as he lay beneath concrete slabs. His clothes and face were covered in cement and dust.The video was reportedly circulated in an Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College student group.SEVEN DEAD IN SATYA NIKETAN BUILDING COLLAPSEThe five-storey building, which housed a boys' paying guest accommodation near Delhi University's South Campus, collapsed while repair work was underway.Twelve people were pulled out from the building. Seven died and several others were injured.The incident has also raised questions about the safety of PG accommodations in the area, where large numbers of students live in rented rooms and paying guest facilities.BUILDING OWNER APPREHENDEDPolice have registered a case against the building owner and others in connection with the collapse. A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered.The building owner, identified as Hariram Gupta, was apprehended from Rajasthan's Bhiwadi area on Monday.The collapse has left seven people dead and several injured, while Aditya's desperate phone call from beneath the rubble has become one of the most striking accounts of the tragedy.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 7, 2026 19:23 IST