Dozens feared trapped in collapsed building in Delhi

What the report says

Rescue crews in Delhi are searching for people feared trapped after a five-storey residential hostel collapsed in the Satya Niketan area of south-west Delhi, near the Delhi University campus, according to BBC World News. Eyewitnesses told local media that as many as 50 people may have been inside when the building came down around 13:30 local time on Sunday.

BBC reported that at least one person was killed and two others were critically injured, while six people had been rescued. The building, known as Hostel Daze, was said to have had construction work underway in its basement at the time. A local legislator at the scene said some trapped students had been able to make calls from beneath the debris.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said an adjacent building was evacuated as a precaution, and police said the structure was about 40 to 50 years old. A nearby shop owner told ANI that excavation work had been carried out to raise income from the property, while students’ union leaders called for an investigation into possible negligence.

The collapse has prompted concern about building safety and construction oversight in densely populated urban areas. BBC said police were still searching for the building owner as rescue efforts continued.