Satya Niketan building collapse: House collapses in Delhi; people were afraid of being trapped

A building collapsed at Satya Niketan in New Delhi on 6 September 2026. Photo credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

At least five people were killed when a five-storey college building collapsed on Sunday (September 6, 2026) in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan, a dense center for paying guests or PG accommodation near Delhi University’s South Campus.

Of the 11 people pulled out of the building and taken to hospital, four were declared brought dead at the JPN Apex Trauma Center at AIIMS. One was in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries. Three people have been admitted to AIIMS and are undergoing treatment, while another has undergone limb surgery. One patient suffered minor injuries and was released after observation, doctors said. Another person, a 19-year-old man, was taken to Safdarjung Hospital and is stable.

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An FIR under Sections 105, 290 and 125 (a) of the BNS has been registered against the building owner Hariram Bansal and others. In the building there is PG accommodation called Hostel Daze. Local residents said the building, which consists of a basement and five other floors, is at least 50 years old. Repairs were underway in the basement at the time of the incident, police said.

The South Campus police station received a call from the control room at 1:34 pm reporting a building collapse at Satya Niketan Market.

Also read | Falling Walls: When a building collapses

The area was cordoned off for an hour and student volunteers helped to clear the area so JCB machines could come in and start removing the debris. Teams from Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force and District Disaster Management Authority then reached the spot with ten fire units and Centralized Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) ambulances and started rescue operations under the supervision of senior officials.

Repair work in the basement

Daljeet Singh, a local helping with the rescue, said the building was not well built and had been weakened by repairs. “The foundation of the building is not strong. It is an old building and water is getting into the basement where some work is going on. The neighboring building was also affected by the impact,” he said. “In my 48 years, I have seen the building slowly add floors,” he added.

“The building was without any support, without columns and thin walls. The five-storey building first collapsed under its weight and then fell forward on the road. We rushed to the spot as soon as we heard a loud noise and people started screaming,” said Rahul Gaur, another local. He said there was also a general store on the ground floor, while laborers worked in the basement.

“Safety norms ignored at PG center”

Locals said at least 30 students were staying in the PG accommodation. “Most PGs here have at least ten students on each floor,” said Abhishek Mishra, a law student at Delhi University who helped with the rescue efforts.

“This area is heavily populated with PGs that do not follow safety norms. Most of the students are from other states. Despite paying a monthly rent of ₹13,000-30,000, the PG managers do not treat the students well. The owners do not come to check any structural defects,” added Mr. Mishra.

“During the rescue, we found a mathematics book belonging to a B.Com student named Rajesh Mishra. The students collapsed under the huge slabs and some of them even made video calls to their friends and family,” said Abhishek Singh, another student who helped in the rescue.

Police teams also reached the spot and cordoned off the area while rescuers launched a search and rescue operation. | Photo credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

Students, locals start rescue work

Residents said rescue operations intensified only when senior officials reached the spot. Earlier, student volunteers helped carry the debris and move the damaged vehicles, opened the nearby MCD park where the debris was dumped and tied the electrical wires hanging overhead for easy movement of the JCB machines.

“The work intensified only from 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm By then, the area was cordoned off by the public and local residents and volunteers were removing the debris with their hands,” said one resident.

Published – 06 Sep 2026 14:31 IST