A five-storey building housing a boys’ paying guest (PG) accommodation collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area on Sunday afternoon, leaving several people trapped under the debris, officials said.
Three people rescued from the building were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre and were stated to be in critical condition, according to officials. Rescue operations were continuing at the site.
#WATCH | Delhi: JCB machines carry out rescue operations at the site of a building collapse near Satya Niketan in South-West Delhi. More details are awaited. As per Delhi Police, the exact number of persons trapped/injured is not known at present. 2 persons have been rescued so… pic.twitter.com/uyeYUxqNPK
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2026
The area is close to Delhi University’s South Campus and has several buildings housing student PGs, hostels and eateries.
Police said a PCR call was received at South Campus police station at 1.34 pm regarding the collapse of a building near Nanakpura Gurdwara. The Delhi Fire Department received an alert at around 1.30 pm, according to police.
Local police personnel, the fire brigade, CAT Ambulance and other emergency services were deployed at the site. A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team also reached the area and joined the rescue and relief operation.
“The exact number of persons trapped/injured is not known at present. Two people have been rescued so far. Further details will be shared as and when confirmed,” police said in an initial statement.
Eight fire tenders and multiple rescue teams from various departments were rushed to the spot, PTI quoted officials as saying.
Authorities had not officially confirmed the total number of people trapped in the building.
Police asked locals and onlookers to stay away from the site as the presence of bystanders was complicating rescue efforts. Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed to ensure the free movement of ambulances.
What did eyewitnesses say?
“I have a shop nearby. We were sitting inside it when we suddenly heard a sound—like the rumble of an earthquake. We rushed out immediately; there was a lot of smoke and dust here. The entire building had collapsed. Some bodies were recovered, and they also rescued four children who were still breathing,” an eyewitness told news agency ANI.
“There was a boys’ PG and a girls’ PG here nearby. 4-5 people have been rescued; 2-3 bodies have been recovered, and more are likely to be found. They were constructing a basement. They had reinforced the upper structure, but the pillars at the bottom were weak. They were renovating the building—specifically to create a rental space on the ground floor—and that caused the collapse. Laborers were working down below and got buried,” the eyewitness added.
CM Rekha Gupta reacts
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said she was deeply concerned by the collapse and that rescue operations were being carried out on a war footing.
BJP MLA Anil Sharma, who reached the site, said people remained trapped inside the building and some were able to make phone calls from under the debris.
“We are even getting calls from those who are trapped inside. Teams are continuously in touch with those who are trapped inside; we pray to god that all people are safe,” Sharma said.
Sharma said it was difficult to establish the number of students trapped at that stage.
“This is a deeply tragic incident; there could be nothing more heartbreaking. Students come here from various places to study and stay in PGs in this building; the structure has collapsed,” he said. (With inputs by agencies)
