NEW DELHI: At least three people were killed, and dozens of others were feared trapped after a five-storey residential building collapsed in the Indian capital New Delhi on Sunday, Indian media reported.
The building, which was being used as guest accommodation and housed mostly students, collapsed at about 1:30 pm local time in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood of southwest Delhi, according to Indian media reports.
Tragic incident happened in Delhi satya Niketan boys student was living in #PG 5 multi Story Building collapse today 1:30PM..
Govt. Are failed to manage delhi..who is responsible…?पूछता है भारत ??#Satya_Niketan_Delhi pic.twitter.com/rBjdNuXAiF
— Jitendra Singh Chauhan (@IMSanjuChauhan) September 6, 2026
Police and disaster response teams were at the scene, using heavy machinery to clear the debris.
Nine people were rescued from the rubble, with five taken to hospital in critical condition, The Hindu and other local media reported, citing fire services officials.
The exact number of people inside the building when it collapsed was not immediately clear.
Eyewitnesses told local media that as many as 50 people could have been inside the building. Some trapped students were reportedly able to make telephone calls from beneath the rubble.
A building has collapsed near Satya Niketan in Delhi, several DU students are trapped.
Local residents, students and Congress volunteers, are on the ground helping with relief and rescue efforts.
The government must immediately expedite rescue operations and deploy every… pic.twitter.com/Cr2x7x1kya
— Varun Choudhary (@varunchoudhary2) September 6, 2026
Television footage showed rescuers pulling a young man from the debris. Another person was shown trapped beneath a fallen concrete slab, with only his face visible.
An adjacent building was also evacuated as a precaution over fears that it could collapse, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said.
“All agencies are working in coordination, with every effort focused on the safe rescue,” Gupta said in a post on X.
Currently at the incident site in Satya Niketan, RK Puram, along with all concerned authorities, closely monitoring the rescue operation.
All agencies are working in coordination, with every effort focused on the safe rescue. Relief and rescue operations are continuing on a war…
— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) September 6, 2026
The building, identified in local reports as Hostel Daze, had a basement and five upper floors. Repair or excavation work was underway in the basement when the structure collapsed, according to ANI.
Delhi Police said the building was about 40 to 50 years old, local media reported.
A nearby shopkeeper told ANI that the property was held under a 100-year lease and alleged that the leaseholder had undertaken excavation work in the basement to increase income.
“They strengthened the upper building, but the pillars below were weak,” he said, adding that construction workers had also been buried in the collapse.
Police were searching for the building’s owner, the Times of India reported.
The National Students’ Union of India called for an investigation into the cause of the collapse and demanded that those found responsible be held accountable.
Building collapses are common in India, particularly in major cities where unauthorised or poorly maintained structures are widespread.
The Satya Niketan area is home to hundreds of university students living in crowded private accommodation, often as paying guests.
Last year, at least 11 people were killed when a residential building collapsed in another district of New Delhi.
