Six dead and more feared trapped in collapsed building in Delhi - bbc.com

**Six dead and dozens feared trapped after Delhi building collapse**

A three‑storey residential‑commercial structure in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood of Delhi collapsed in the early hours of Thursday, killing at least six people and leaving several others unaccounted for, officials said. The building, which housed a popular paying‑guest (PG) accommodation for students, gave way suddenly, sending concrete slabs and debris onto the street. Emergency services, including fire‑fighters, the National Disaster Response Force and local police, converged on the site within minutes, deploying heavy‑duty equipment and sniffer dogs in a frantic effort to locate survivors amid the rubble.

As the rescue operation progressed, the death toll rose to seven, with dozens of residents, many of them university students, forced to flee the scene clutching suitcases and expressing palpable fear. In the wake of the tragedy, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) suspended five senior officials, including a key officer and four civic‑body administrators, pending a probe into alleged negligence and lapses in building‑safety compliance. Delhi Police have formed ten dedicated teams to investigate the ownership and structural integrity of the collapsed edifice, and to track down the property owner for possible criminal charges.

The collapse has reignited public debate over Delhi’s aging housing stock and the enforcement of construction norms. City officials have pledged a comprehensive audit of high‑rise and PG buildings across the capital, while the state government has announced a fast‑track review of pending demolition orders for illegal structures. Advocacy groups are urging stricter penalties for violations and greater transparency in building‑approval processes to prevent further loss of life.