The building that collapsed in national capital's Satya Niketan area was a 40 to 50 years old structure comprising a basement and five upper floors, the Delhi Police said on Sunday, hours following the tragedy that left five people dead.
At the time of the incident, repair work was being done at the basement, the police said, adding that the building was being used as a boys' PG named 'Hostel Daze'. The cops have also registered a first information report (FIR) in connection with the incident and booked the PG owner Hariram under several sections of the BNS.
"From the local enquiry, it came to knowledge that this was a 40–50-year-old building, comprising a basement and five upper floors, and it was used as a PG accommodation. Repair work was underway in the basement when the incident occurred," the Delhi Police said in a statement.
Amit Shah speaks to CM Gupta
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has taken cognisance of the incident, and held telephonic conversations with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General Piyush Anand to assess the situation on the ground.
Shah, in a post on micro-blogging platform X (previously Twitter), said he is "deeply distressed" by the incident, but noted the local authorities are coordinating with the NDRF for the rescue operation. He also assured that the injured are being provided with all necessary medical assistance.
CM Gupta oversees rescue op
Meanwhile, the chief minister arrived at the site where the tragedy happened to oversee the rescue operation, assuring immediate assistance to the affected families. She also called the incident "deeply concerning", stating that the situation is being closely monitored and that all relevant agencies are working in coordination.
"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.
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