After the building collapsed on Saturday evening, rescue operations continued throughout the night to extract survivors from under the rubble
At least six people were killed and ten others injured as a four-storey commercial building collapsed near Saket Metro station in south Delhi’s Sidulagab area on Saturday evening (May 30).
A rescue operation was conducted overnight to extract survivors from under the rubble, while authorities continued search efforts in the hope of recovering more people. This is a multi-agency rescue operation, including teams 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.
Rescue teams used heavy machinery, hydraulic breakers, victim locator cameras and police dogs to maximize their efforts. All the injured were taken to AIIMS Trauma Center for treatment.
DFS reportedly received a call at 7:44pm on Saturday regarding the collapse.
A video, allegedly filmed by a bystander, shows the moment the building collapsed, sending a huge cloud of dust into the air.
The incident occurred in a densely populated area in the Western Prairie of Saidulagab known for its paid guest accommodation, training centers and student messes. As the building continued to collapse, anxious students gathered around nearby hallways, some locating missing friends who were in the chaos.
Injury, death and rescue optics
Nine people were recovered from the rubble till around 3:45 am on Sunday, eight of whom were admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Center for treatment while one of the victims, Ravi, was declared dead on arrival.
At least six people were declared dead at the AIIMS Trauma Center with two undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A senior police officer revealed that three people were shifted to a ward while three others were taken out.
Rescue operations are expected to continue until every missing person is identified, according to police. The cause of the collapse has not yet been confirmed.
(With inputs from Himani Bhandari)
Stuti Gupta is a content producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, where she is part of the general news team, tasked with reporting on events across the country that impact the local and international environment. In her role at HT, she is responsible for monitoring incoming news updates, packaging stories and publishing them in a format that best suits her purpose. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from St. Xavier’s, Mumbai, and is interested in working in international affairs. Aside from her interest in the geopolitical world, she is a reader, writer, speaker, debater, and learner who loves obtaining new information. She has been recognized for her previous literary work at an international level having won the Gold Prize, Gold Prize and Silver Prize in various years participating in the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition along with winning Third Prize and publishing her story in Children’s World in 2017. Except for academic and professional endeavours, she has a passion for traveling to new places, exploring new cultures and cuisines, documenting them through words and images and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. She is also very passionate about studying and actively participating in art forms such as cinema, dance, theatre, and music as a tool for cultural storytelling.Read more
