An FIR has been registered against the owner and others, while a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the collapse that has renewed questions over illegal construction, unsafe PGs and lax enforcement in Delhi.
BY PC Bureau
NEW DELHI, September 7: The death toll in the collapse of a five-storey paying guest (PG) accommodation in Delhi’s Satya Niketan rose to six on Monday, as rescue teams continued clearing the remaining debris and authorities began probing alleged violations of building and safety norms.
The building, known as Hostel Daze, collapsed at around 1.30 p.m. on Sunday in the densely populated student neighbourhood near Delhi University’s South Campus. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said 12 people had been pulled from the rubble — six dead and six in stable condition — while around 80 per cent of the debris had been cleared.
Rescue teams were continuing to search the remaining rubble, particularly the basement area, where officials suspected more debris could be trapped. The exact number of people who were inside the building when it collapsed has not yet been officially established.
Unofficial estimates had ranged from 15–20 to as many as 30–50 students and workers. Police were compiling a list of missing persons and cross-checking it against those rescued, injured or confirmed dead.
The four-storey-plus-basement structure stood on a plot of roughly 55 square yards in a resettlement colony and was reportedly 40 to 50 years old. It had been converted into a boys’ PG used largely by Delhi University students, with some reports putting its capacity at about 75 beds.
Municipal records reportedly showed the property as a G+4 structure, although the original permission for the plot was for only G+1 construction. Residents have alleged that additional construction may have taken place over the years.
VIDEO | Satya Niketan building collapse: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha ) inspects the collapse site to monitor the rescue operation.
She says, “Approximately 80 per cent of the debris has been cleared, with only the basement debris remaining. Water had… pic.twitter.com/rAkXhMuN1j
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 7, 2026
Basement work under scrutiny
The collapse occurred while repair and excavation work was reportedly under way in the basement and ground-floor portions of the building. Heavy rain in the preceding days had also led to water accumulation in the basement.
Preliminary assessments by officials have pointed to a combination of factors, including water weakening the foundation and renovation work allegedly affecting a supporting pillar. The resulting failure caused what officials described as a “pancake collapse”, with successive floors crashing down onto one another.
A definitive cause will be established only after the ongoing investigation and structural assessment are completed.
Listen to this girl 🚨
Satya Niketan collapse site.
Local resident on Delhi CM Rekha Gupta:Girl – That is all drama. They are just creating an impression. In a little while everyone will leave. Bribes will be paid and the matter will be closed. Anil Sharma, Rekha Gupta, all of… pic.twitter.com/JU5KOZT97S
— The Rebel (@TheRebel_IN) September 7, 2026
Among those killed were Delhi University students, including Yuvraj Soni, a second-year B.Com student of Motilal Nehru College from Durg in Chhattisgarh, and another student identified as Abhishek. Labourers engaged in work at the property were also among those killed or injured.
Some students trapped beneath the debris managed to make phone calls or record videos before rescuers reached them.
Owner booked, inquiry ordered
Delhi Police have registered an FIR against the property owner, Hariram Bansal, also referred to as Hari Ram Bansal, and others. The case invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligent construction or repair and acts endangering human life.
Police teams were searching for Bansal, who was reported to be absconding. The names of other associates, including Anand Bansal, have also emerged during the investigation.
Gupta has ordered a magisterial inquiry and said responsibility would be fixed, whether it involved the property owner, contractors or officials who may have failed to enforce regulations.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has also ordered action against buildings in the locality allegedly exceeding permitted floors and issued a demolition notice for another nearby property.
Rescue amid narrow lanes
The rescue operation brought together the National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police and other agencies. Teams deployed earthmovers, hydraulic cutters, cameras, listening devices and sniffer dogs to locate and extract victims.
Residents also joined the operation, forming human chains and manually removing debris in the narrow lanes surrounding the collapsed building. An adjoining building was evacuated as a precaution.
Several Delhi University colleges opened their premises to accommodate students displaced by the disaster.
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Another warning over Delhi’s unsafe buildings
The Satya Niketan collapse has once again exposed concerns over Delhi’s ageing and unauthorised structures, particularly in densely populated student-housing areas where old residential buildings are frequently converted into high-occupancy PG accommodations.
The incident has prompted demands for structural audits of student PGs across the capital. Fire department data have recorded hundreds of building-collapse-related calls in recent years, including several fatal incidents in areas such as Rohini, Saidulajab-Saket and Mustafabad.
Investigators are expected to examine whether unauthorised additional floors, basement modifications, structural alterations and lapses in municipal enforcement contributed to the Satya Niketan collapse.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other leaders expressed condolences and said they were monitoring the situation. Gupta visited the collapse site twice and met injured victims at the AIIMS Trauma Centre.
Student organisations, including the ABVP, also protested outside MCD offices, demanding accountability.
For families waiting for missing students, however, the immediate concern remains the rescue operation. Teams were still working through the remaining basement debris on Monday, with officials yet to declare the search complete.
The tragedy has once again raised a fundamental question for Delhi’s rapidly expanding student-housing clusters: how many buildings are being used far beyond what their sanctioned plans, structures and safety systems were designed to handle — and why are authorities often acting only after they collapse?
