A residential building collapsed in Delhi, leaving dozens of students potentially trapped inside.
Eyewitnesses reported that about 50 people were inside a five‑storey hostel in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood when the structure fell around 13:30 local time (08:00 GMT) on Sunday.
Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Delhi police have recovered at least eight survivors, while three people were confirmed dead and another three remain in critical condition.
Local media said construction work was ongoing in the basement as the hostel – located close to the Delhi University campus – had been expanded by excavating beneath its foundation.
While many residents were in their rooms on Sunday, a legislative assembly member noted that some trapped students had managed to make calls from under the rubble.
An adjacent building, also a hostel, had collapsed simultaneously, prompting its evacuation as a precautionary measure, according to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
The owner of a nearby shop – whose lease is 100 years – alleged that excavating work had weakened the pillars beneath, even though the upper structure was reinforced.
The National Students' Union of India called for an investigation into the collapse and for accountability for any negligence.
Delhi police are searching for the owner of the building, and building collapses remain a frequent hazard in the capital, with over a thousand recorded in the last three years.
Common causes cited include poor foundations, inadequate materials and unqualified construction workers.
Previously, a residential building in north‑eastern Delhi collapsed in April last year, killing eleven people, including three children.
Rescue operations continue while authorities investigate the structural integrity of the site.
