A nearly 50-year-old five-storey building housing a boys' hostel in Satya Niketan near Delhi University's South Campus collapsed on Sunday afternoon, killing three students and leaving five others critically injured, police said.
Eight people have been pulled out of the debris so far. Two were brought dead to hospital, while a third died during treatment, police said. Several others are feared trapped under the rubble, although authorities have not yet confirmed the number.
The building, known as 'Hostel Daze', comprised a basement and five upper floors and was being used as a paying guest (PG) accommodation. Repair work was underway in the basement when the structure collapsed at around 1:30 pm, a senior officer said.
Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising around 70 personnel and a canine squad, have been deployed for the rescue operation. Oxygen cylinders were dropped under the rubble to help those trapped breathe, an NDRF officer said. Fire tenders and police teams have also been stationed at the site.
Locals claimed that 40 to 50 people could still be trapped under the debris, but Delhi Police said the exact number of people trapped or injured was not known.
The densely packed area has narrow lanes lined with eateries and PG accommodations catering mainly to students. Residents joined rescue teams in the search for people trapped under the debris, using their hands and tools to clear the rubble.
