At least seven killed after university hostel collapses in India

At least seven people died after a five-story building used as a university hostel collapsed in New Delhi, while rescue teams continued searching the rubble for survivors.

The collapse occurred around 1:30 p.m. local time in Satya Niketan, a densely populated neighborhood known for private student accommodation near a University of Delhi campus. The building, about 50 years old, contained roughly 15 rooms occupied mainly by students from Kerala, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Initial information from police and local witnesses indicated that the collapse happened during repair work in the basement. Water that accumulated after persistent rains in recent days may have weakened the foundations. Police, firefighters and teams from India’s disaster response agency worked into a second day, using heavy machinery and sniffer dogs to reach people who might still be trapped.

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So far, 12 people have been rescued. Six of them have died and six are stable. All their parents are being kept informed, and the young people are receiving appropriate medical treatment.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said 12 people had been rescued, including six who died and six who remained stable after receiving medical treatment. She said about 80% of the debris had been removed, with the remaining material in the basement. Gupta ordered an investigation into the incident, while police issued a search notice for the building’s owner, according to Hindustan Times.

The death toll rose to seven in an update published by the same outlet early Monday. The report cited EFE and AFP alongside local reporting.

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Approximately 80% of the rubble has been removed. Only the basement debris remains.