Panic and fear gripped Delhi’s Sidulagab area on Saturday evening after a four-storey building housing crowded guest accommodation near Saket Metro station collapsed, killing a 26-year-old man and injuring at least eight others.
The multi-agency rescue operation continued throughout the night and is still ongoing. Rescue teams were able to extract nine people from under the rubble, while officials continued the search amid fears that more people might remain under the rubble.
Amid the confusion and anxiety, many people remained near the site seeking information about friends and relatives believed to be trapped inside.
What did eyewitnesses say when the building collapsed?
Witnesses recalled the horror of the building’s collapse and said they heard voices and screams coming from under the collapsed building. “All we heard was screaming coming from under the rubble. There was a huge cloud of dust. When it settled, we realized that part of a nearby building had also been affected,” a local resident told news agency PTI.
The building, which reportedly housed a training institute, cafes and offices, collapsed on the western lawn of Sidulagap, near Saket Metro station. Construction work was reportedly underway on the third floor at the time.
A relative of one of the people trapped after the collapse criticized the lack of an appropriate response by the authorities involved in the rescue efforts.
The woman, who was waiting for news about her mother, told news agency ANI: “The police are here, we are asking about our family members? There is no response. The locals were handling the situation better than the police. They saved three people, but the police only saved two people… No one has an answer to my questions. What is the meaning of freedom of expression?”
“If the leaders come, they just do something. This building was built in danger, and we also complained. I want to see my mother, but they won’t let me out.”
Several students who regularly visited the mess or attended classes at the training institute stood anxiously at the entrance to the corridor, watching the ambulances leaving the area and hoping for news of those inside.
Gaurav Kumar, 23, who lives in a nearby PG hostel, told HT: “My friend and I study in a nearby coaching centre, and we eat in the mess sometimes. I came to know around 8 pm that the building next door has collapsed. I have been calling him for hours and he is not answering, even though the call is in progress, so I am really worried that he is trapped inside.”
People living nearby said the building was regularly visited by students and office-goers. Some residents estimated that between 100 and 150 people may be trapped under the rubble.
“Around 100 to 150 people may have been trapped under the collapsed building. Many cafes, training centers and corporate offices were operating from the building. The building was relatively new and was probably constructed about four or five years ago,” Ravindra Singh, a local resident, told PTI.
What did officials say about the building’s collapse?
Rescue personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services (DFS), Delhi Police, Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Civil Defense and CATS Ambulance Service continued clearance and search operations throughout the night.
Nine people were rescued from the rubble by 3.45 am on Sunday, Delhi Fire Services officials said. Eight of them were rushed to AIIMS Trauma Center for treatment, while another person, identified as Ravi, was declared dead on arrival.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the administration is closely monitoring the situation and has allocated all available resources to the rescue mission.
She said that every effort is being made to rescue those trapped and provide immediate support to the affected families. “All relevant agencies are coordinating their efforts to ensure that the safety and well-being of every citizen remains a top priority,” she said.
Police said search and rescue work will continue until everyone trapped is located. The exact cause of the collapse has not yet been determined.
With input from agencies
