At least three people have been killed and several others are feared trapped after a five-storey residential building collapsed in India’s capital, Delhi, on Sunday, with dozens of students reportedly inside.
The building, located in the Satya Niketan area of south-west Delhi, collapsed at about 1:30 p.m. local time.
Eyewitnesses told local media that as many as 50 people may have been inside when the structure came down.
According to news agency PTI, citing local police, three people died while three others were in critical condition.
At least eight people had reportedly been rescued.
Rescue teams were working to locate and free those still trapped beneath the rubble.
A member of the Delhi legislative assembly said some of the trapped students had managed to make phone calls from underneath the debris.
The building, known as Hostel Daze, is situated close to Delhi University and accommodated students.
Many residents were reportedly in their rooms because there were no classes on Sunday.
Construction work was reportedly taking place in the basement when the building collapsed.
An adjacent building also suffered a collapse and was evacuated as a precaution, according to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
“Every possible effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped,” Gupta said.
An eyewitness told ANI that the neighbouring structure was also being used as a hostel.
Delhi Police said the collapsed building was between 40 and 50 years old.
A nearby shop owner told ANI that the property was under a 100-year lease and alleged that the leaseholder had carried out excavation work in the basement to expand the hostel and increase income.
“They strengthened the upper building, but the pillars below were weak,” he said, adding that construction workers were also among those buried.
The National Students’ Union of India called for an investigation into the incident and urged authorities to hold those responsible accountable.
“Negligence with the safety of students and common people will not be tolerated at any cost,” it said.
Police were searching for the building’s owner, according to the Times of India.
Satya Niketan is a densely populated neighbourhood with a large student population and several hostels.
Building collapses are relatively frequent in Delhi.
Fire department figures reportedly show that more than 1,000 such incidents have been recorded over the past three years, resulting in dozens of deaths.
Poor foundations, substandard materials and the use of unqualified construction workers have been identified among common causes of building collapses.
In April, 11 people, including three children, were reportedly killed when a residential building collapsed in north-eastern Delhi.
