Dozens may be trapped after a five-storey student hostel collapsed in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood of south-west Delhi around 13:30 local time on Sunday. Authorities say as many as 50 people could have been inside the building, which sits a short distance from the Delhi University campus.
Delhi Police reported at least one person has died and two others are in a critical condition, while six people have been pulled from the wreckage so far. A legislative assembly member at the scene said some of those trapped had managed to phone relatives from beneath the rubble.
The building, known as Hostel Daze, was reportedly undergoing basement construction before it gave way. A nearby shop owner told ANI the property was under a 100-year lease and that excavation in the basement had been carried out to raise income. He said workers had tried to strengthen the upper floors but the supporting pillars below were weak, and that construction staff were among those buried.
Eyewitnesses said an adjacent structure also collapsed, and the chief minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta, said the neighbouring building had been evacuated as a precaution. "Every possible effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped," she said.
Rescue teams continued combing the site amid fears casualty numbers could rise. Officials face urgent questions about excavation and structural safety in the area, while residents and students near the campus await news of those still unaccounted for.
