‘Pillar shifted, building collapsed’: Delhi CM reveals what went wrong at Satya Niketan PG

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta Sunday said excavation and renovation work in the basement of the boys’ PG at Satya Niketan caused a pillar to shift, triggering the collapse of the multi-storey building that left at least three people dead and several injured.

Visiting the site in southwest Delhi, Gupta said the building was an old structure where construction and renovation were underway. “A pillar shifted and the building collapsed,” she said while explaining the preliminary circumstances behind the incident. She warned that those responsible would face action, whether they were the building owner or government officials found guilty of negligence. At least 11 people had been rescued from the debris, while five of the injured were reported to be in critical condition. Rescue teams continued searching the rubble amid concerns that more people could remain trapped.

Basement work under scanner

Police said the structure was around 40 to 50 years old and consisted of a basement and five upper floors. It was being used as paying-guest accommodation for students, and repair work was underway in the basement when it collapsed Sunday afternoon.

The Delhi Fire Services received information about the incident at around 1.30 pm, while a PCR call reached South Campus police station shortly afterwards. Teams from the NDRF, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, DDMA, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence were deployed for the rescue operation.

Gupta said the priority remained rescuing anyone still trapped and treating the injured. Once rescue operations were completed, the circumstances leading to the collapse would be investigated in detail.

South Delhi BJP MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the government had constituted a committee to investigate the incident and promised stringent action on the basis of its findings. An FIR has also been registered in connection with the collapse.

The adjacent building was evacuated as a precautionary measure amid concerns over structural safety.

CM vows accountability

Gupta said responsibility would be fixed after determining how renovation work was allowed to proceed and whether requisite permissions and structural safeguards were in place.

The collapse has also renewed concerns over ageing buildings converted into student accommodation in the densely populated Satya Niketan area, located close to Delhi University’s South Campus.

Witnesses described hearing a loud rumbling sound before the structure came crashing down, sending clouds of dust through the neighbourhood. Several residents said the building shook moments before the collapse.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi later expressed grief over the deaths and offered condolences to the families of the victims while wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

The tragedy comes four years after another building collapsed in Satya Niketan in April 2022, killing two labourers and injuring four others. That structure had earlier been flagged by the civic body over alleged illegal structural alterations.