At least six people were killed and several others injured after a five-storey paying guest building used by college students collapsed in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon, officials said. Rescue teams from the Delhi Fire Service, NDRF and other agencies worked through the night as families waited at the site near Delhi University’s South Campus.
The structure, locally known as Hostel Daze, came down around 1.30 pm. Police said it had a basement and five upper floors and was about 40 to 50 years old. Repair or renovation work was under way on the lower levels when the building failed. Officials described the failure as a pancake collapse, in which floors stacked onto one another.
Southwest Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Surender Chaudhary confirmed six deaths and said 11 people had been pulled out by Monday morning. Patients were taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre and other hospitals. AIIMS said some of those brought in were declared dead on arrival and at least one person later died during treatment. Several of the injured were students; two labourers were also among those treated.
The exact number of people still unaccounted for was not immediately confirmed. Early local estimates of those inside ranged widely, and police said they were still verifying occupancy. Rescuers reported contact with some people under the debris during the first hours of the operation.
Delhi Police registered FIR No. 153/26 at South Campus police station against the alleged owner, identified in official statements as Hariram (also referred to as Hari Ram Bansal), a Gurugram resident, and others. Charges include culpable homicide and negligence in maintaining a structure. Investigators are also examining names that surfaced in preliminary inquiries, including Anand Bansal. Multiple teams were formed to trace those named.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the site and AIIMS Trauma Centre and ordered a magisterial inquiry. “Whoever is responsible for this, whether it is the building owner or an official, will not be spared,” she said. She added that preliminary information suggested excavation in the basement may have caused a pillar to shift.
Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu said he had directed Delhi Police, the fire service and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority to coordinate closely. “The situation is being closely monitored, and it will be ensured that every possible support reaches those in need,” he said.
Delhi Fire Service officials said they received the first call shortly after 1.20 pm and reached the lane within minutes. Fire chief Abhilash Kumar Malik described the manner of collapse as pancake-type. An adjacent building was evacuated as a precaution.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi ordered the immediate sealing of illegal constructions with more than four floors. Mayor Pravesh Wahi said those responsible “will not be spared under any circumstances” and that errant officials would face action.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of life. Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the chief minister and directed officials to speed up rescue and relief.
Locals said the building stood on a small plot in a crowded resettlement colony packed with student PGs serving Motilal Nehru College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, Sri Venkateswara College and other South Campus institutions. Students, many from other states, typically paid about Rs 12,000 per bed. Residents alleged water had collected in the basement after recent rain and that the foundation was weak. Police said those claims form part of the investigation.
A senior MCD official said the structure appeared to exceed sanctioned height for the area, which sources described as permitted only up to ground-plus-one in that pocket. Whether extra floors were added without approval, whether the building was licensed to operate as a PG, and whether renovation had civic clearance are among the questions under probe. Search operations continued Monday as authorities worked to identify all the dead and account for every occupant.
