Satya Niketan: Six dead and dozens feared trapped in collapsed Delhi building - bbc.com

**Satya Niketan: Six dead and dozens feared trapped in collapsed Delhi building**

A four‑storey residential building in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood of Delhi collapsed early on Thursday, killing six people and leaving dozens more feared trapped under the rubble. Emergency services, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Police and fire‑rescue teams, arrived within minutes and began a painstaking search-and‑rescue operation. As of the latest updates, rescue workers have recovered several bodies and continue to use heavy‑equipment cutters and life‑detectors to reach any survivors still buried in the debris. The building, which housed a mix of families, students and office workers, was a popular hostel for university students, amplifying the tragedy’s emotional impact on the city’s youth community.

Preliminary investigations by the Delhi government’s building safety cell point to a series of illegal modifications that compromised the structure’s integrity. The 40‑year‑old edifice, originally constructed with a modest number of load‑bearing pillars, was later altered to accommodate additional floors, and several “unauthorised repair” works were carried out without proper approvals. Engineers cited the removal of key columns and the addition of extra rooms as the critical factors that caused the collapse, a conclusion echoed by reports in *The Times of India* and *NDTV*. The building’s owner and the contractor responsible for the recent renovations have been summoned for questioning, and the municipal corporation has ordered a city‑wide audit of similar structures to prevent repeat incidents.

The tragedy has sparked sharp political criticism. The Chief Justice of India’s office issued a statement urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration to enforce stricter compliance with building codes, while opposition leaders have called the incident a “failure of governance” and demanded accountability for illegal construction practices. Delhi’s Chief Minister, in a press briefing, expressed condolences to the victims’ families and pledged expedited legal action against any parties found guilty of negligence. The government has also announced compensation for the deceased families and a review of the city’s building‑approval processes to tighten oversight and safeguard residents.