Guwahati: At least five students were killed and several others were feared trapped after a five-storey building housing a boys’ paying guest (PG) facility collapsed in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan area on Sunday afternoon.

The incident occurred around 1:30 pm in the densely populated locality near Chanakyapuri and Delhi University’s South Campus, triggering a large-scale rescue operation involving the Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Police, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Disaster Management Authority.

Around 15 to 20 people were reportedly missing following the collapse, while rescue teams pulled several people from beneath the debris.

The building, comprising a basement and five upper floors, reportedly collapsed while repair work was underway in the basement. Police are examining whether the repair work may have contributed to the collapse. An FIR has been registered in connection with the incident.

The AIIMS Trauma Centre said 10 people were brought to the hospital. Four were declared dead on arrival, while another person who was critically injured later succumbed to their injuries. Three patients were admitted for treatment, one underwent limb surgery and another person with minor injuries was discharged following observation.

Rescue teams faced considerable challenges as large concrete slabs, girders and other debris covered the site. Narrow lanes in the densely built-up neighbourhood also made it difficult to move heavy machinery close to the collapsed structure.

More than 50 teams from multiple agencies were deployed for the rescue operation. NDRF personnel used life-detection equipment, sniffer dogs, hydraulic tools, diamond chain saws, plasma cutters, hydraulic jacks and inflatable lifting bags to locate and extract survivors.

Local residents began removing debris manually even before emergency teams fully reached the site. Rescuers also relied on information from residents and students to identify possible locations where people could be trapped.

In separate rescue efforts, NDRF personnel reportedly pulled out an unconscious survivor about 15 minutes after locating the person, while two conscious survivors were rescued within around 30 minutes.

The basement remained a major focus of the search operation as rescuers struggled to access the area because of the large quantity of debris. Locals feared that workers could still be trapped inside.

An adjacent building being used as a PG facility was evacuated as a precautionary measure.

The collapse has also renewed concerns over the safety of student accommodation in and around Delhi University’s South Campus. Satya Niketan has a large concentration of PG facilities, with several operating from converted residential buildings. Residents have raised concerns about multi-storey structures, restricted access and inadequate evacuation arrangements.

Students at the site said monthly rents at the collapsed PG reportedly ranged from around Rs 16,000 for twin-sharing accommodation to Rs 32,000 for single occupancy.

According to local residents, the collapsed structure was built in the early 1970s. The area was formerly part of a slum colony, while records cited in the report indicate that the land was transferred by the Delhi Development Authority to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in 1962.

The incident has brought back memories of a similar building collapse in Satya Niketan in April 2022, when two workers died during alleged illegal repair work at an old three-storey structure.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and directed officials to ensure swift rescue and assistance, while Union Health Minister JP Nadda instructed government hospitals to provide necessary medical treatment to the injured.

A quick-commerce platform also deployed around 20 response teams and more than 10 ambulances after receiving requests for assistance from people at the site.

The collapse highlighted the difficulties faced by rescue agencies in congested parts of the capital, where narrow roads and limited space can restrict the movement of heavy equipment. Despite the deployment of multiple agencies, rescuers continued to remove rubble carefully to prevent further destabilisation of the structure.

Rescue and search operations continued as authorities worked to determine the exact circumstances behind the collapse and ascertain whether anyone remained trapped beneath the debris.