Five-storey building collapses in Delhi’s Saket, 2 killed; Search continues for people trapped under debris

A major accident occurred when a five-storey building suddenly collapsed near Saket Metro Station in South Delhi on Saturday (30 May) evening. So far, two people have been confirmed dead in this accident, while many others have been injured. Relief and rescue teams fear that some people may still be trapped under the debris. For this reason, a large-scale rescue operation continued throughout the night.

The accident occurred in Saidulajab area at around 7:44 pm. According to eyewitnesses, coaching institutes, cafes and several offices were operating in the building. Besides, construction work was also going on on the third floor. Suddenly the entire structure collapsed and within no time there was a huge pile of debris.

As soon as information about the incident was received, Delhi Fire Service, Police and other emergency agencies reached the spot. Rescue workers immediately started an operation to rescue people trapped under the debris. So far, a total of 10 people have been pulled out from the debris. Of these, seven people were rescued by Delhi Fire Service teams, while three were taken out by local citizens and police control room personnel before the fire brigade arrived.

All the injured were immediately rushed to AIIMS Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre. According to hospital sources, the condition of three people remains critical and they are undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Six other injured are currently stable and kept under observation. Two people were declared dead on reaching the hospital.

Chief Minister took stock of the incident site

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also reached the spot and reviewed the relief operations. “The incident of building collapse near Saket metro station is extremely worrying,” he wrote on social media platform X. He said rescue teams were working on a “war footing” and every possible effort was being made to rescue the stranded people. “The safety and well-being of every citizen is our top priority,” the Chief Minister said in his message.

Balwant Yadav, father of Neelam who was injured in the accident, said that his 25-year-old daughter was present in the canteen located near the building at the time of the incident. Neelam had recently returned from abroad after completing her MBBS studies and was preparing for the postgraduate medical entrance examination at Arise Medical Academy, Saket.

According to Balwant Yadav, around 30 to 35 students were present in the canteen at the time of the accident, most of whom were preparing for medical entrance examinations. He told that his daughter has suffered a fracture in her leg and her treatment is going on.

Local residents say that this area is full of students, employees and other people throughout the day. The canteen and the surrounding area is always busy, due to which a large number of people are expected to be present at the time of the accident.

Fear of 5 to 6 people still trapped

Civil Defense officials said that five to six people are still feared buried under the debris. Civil Defense Deputy Chief Warden (Headquarters) Dharamveer Sejwal said, “All our senior officers are present here. Five to six people may still be trapped. The rescue operation is going on continuously.” He also indicated that possible violations at some construction or administrative level related to the building should be investigated. “This is a commercial area. There has been a mistake somewhere,” he said.

A multi-agency relief operation was launched after the accident. This includes the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police, Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Municipal Corporation (MCD), Civil Defense and CATS ambulance services.

Floodlights, cutting machines, heavy rescue equipment and modern search equipment have been installed at the spot. Rescue workers are carefully removing debris and searching for possible survivors.

What did the police say?

South Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Anant Mittal said that at around 7:35 pm, the police first received information about an explosion-like sound and the building collapsing. A few minutes later the accident was confirmed through a PCR call.

He said that on reaching the spot, it was found that an old building had collapsed and its debris fell on a porta cabin structure located nearby, which was being used as a canteen for medical students.

The police created a green corridor to take the injured to the hospital, so that the ambulances could reach the hospital faster. The rescue operation is continuing with the joint efforts of NDRF, DDMA, Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Police.

reasons will be investigated

According to preliminary information, some part of the building was under construction. However, officials have not yet confirmed whether the accident occurred due to negligence in construction work, structural weakness or any other reason. A detailed investigation will be launched after the rescue operation is completed.

At present, the entire focus is on safely evacuating people potentially trapped under the debris. As time passes, the challenges faced by the rescue teams increase and the mission turns into an uphill battle against time.

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