Suitcases in hand, fear in eyes: Hundreds of students flee Satya Niketan after PG collapse

For many students, the decision to leave was made within hours. Those who had families in other cities booked their flights and went home, while students whose relatives live in or around Delhi moved in with them. September 7, 2026 | Photo credit: The Hindu

With suitcases rolling behind them and bags slung over their shoulders, students rushed out of the congested lanes of Satya Niketan late on Sunday (September 6, 2026), some still wearing the clothes they had slept in.

The collapse of a nearby PG building left many too scared to spend another night in the neighborhood they called home.

Also read | Delhi Building Collapse LIVE

For Anushriti, a native of Kanpur who has lived in Satya Niketan for almost a year, the fear is still raw. She went to her friend’s house in Moti Bagh with more than just a phone in her hand.

“I’m in my nighty from the last 24 hours and only have my phone in my hand. Now I’m stuck – I can’t go to my hometown or go back to PG,” she said.

She was sleeping during the day when a building collapsed nearby. The impact was so strong that her bed shook and her first thought was that her own PG had given way.

“The building I lived in is very close to the building that collapsed. It doesn’t feel right,” she said. Her belongings remain on the fourth floor of her PG, but she was too traumatized to return. “I need to get back there to get my essentials and I’m just mentally preparing.

For many students, the decision to leave was made within hours. Those who had families in other cities booked their flights and went home, while students whose relatives live in or around Delhi moved in with them. Others sought refuge with friends and the elderly.

Pragya, who switched to Satya Niketan only a month ago and studies in Aryabhatta College, moved to her cousin’s house in Chirag Gali after the collapse. In the morning she was in the same lane to have breakfast and later found herself overcome by the sound of sirens and emergency vehicles.

“When I reached Chirag Gali, I just hugged my sister and cried for 15 minutes,” she said. Her parents, she added, panicked and asked her to find another PG.

“It doesn’t feel like you’re living. It’s just surviving,” said Pragya, who hails from Jharkhand. “I’ll look for some other place now. I don’t want to go back there.”

For Unnayan, the fear haunted him even after he briefly returned to his PG. He finally left for his friend in Ber Sarai at around 1am without being able to make sure the building was safe.

“I went back to my PG at night, sat there and felt that this building is also going to collapse. I just decided to leave,” he said. He couldn’t sleep all night.

Departures continued throughout the night as students, many carrying what they could quickly muster, made their way out of the densely packed neighborhood.

Student representatives estimated that more than 100 students left for their hometowns or the homes of relatives.

For those who had nowhere else to go, classmates and seniors provided temporary accommodation. Students were accommodated in places including Meena Bagh, while classrooms at Venkateshwara College and Aryabhatta College were converted into temporary shelters with mattresses spread out for students who were displaced.

Many students have said that they do not want to return to their PGs until the Municipal Corporation of Delhi conducts security checks and gives them some assurance that the buildings they live in are safe.

Published – 07 Sep 2026 11:37 IST