Three people were rescued, but many others remain trapped after a building collapsed in the Satya Niketan area of South Delhi on Sunday afternoon, said officials. The building collapsed has been identified as a private PG where students were staying. Emergency teams have been rushed to the spot, and a rescue operation remains underway.
The Delhi Fire Service received information about the incident at around 1:30 pm after which emergency teams were rushed to the spot, and a rescue operation remains underway. The structure that collapsed was a five-storey building and rescue teams are verifying the details.
A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also been rushed to the spot, while senior officials are present supervising the rescue operation. A Delhi Fire Service official said five fire tenders have been deployed at the site along with police teams.
"The exact number of persons trapped/ injured is not known at present... Further details will be shared as and when confirmed," the Delhi Police said.
CM Gupta 'deeply concerned'
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has called the situation 'deeply concerning' and said the situation is being 'closely monitored'. She said all concerned agencies are working in coordination, stressing that the safety and well-being of every citizen remains the government's highest priority.
"Teams from DDMA, NDRF, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence are carrying out rescue operations on a war footing. The adjacent building has been vacated as a precautionary measure. Every possible effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped and provide immediate assistance to the affected families," she said on X (previously Twitter).
'Rescue efforts are ongoing': BJP MLA
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Anil Sharma, meanwhile, has called the incident "deeply tragic" and "heartbreaking". He said the chief minister and the Delhi government are deeply concerned and focused on ensuring the students are rescued.
"Students come here from various places to study and stay in PGs in this building; the structure has collapsed. While it is difficult to state the exact number- whether there are five, ten, or twenty students- we know for certain that students are trapped inside. Two students have already been rescued by the NDRF and MCD. Some students are even making calls from within, and it appears there are still others trapped inside, so rescue efforts are ongoing," Sharma said.
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