A chilling CCTV footage has captured the moment a five-storey paying guest (PG) hostel in South-West Delhi’s Satya Niketan suddenly collapsed, killing at least seven people and setting off a massive multi-agency rescue operation for those injured.
A chilling CCTV footage has captured the moment a five-storey paying guest (PG) hostel in South-West Delhi’s Satya Niketan suddenly collapsed, killing at least seven people and setting off a massive multi-agency rescue operation for those injured.
The newly surfaced footage also captures a local shopkeeper’s miraculous escape, as he narrowly avoided being buried beneath a torrent of concrete and debris. Recorded by a surveillance camera positioned directly across the street, the chilling video provides a second-by-second glimpse of the collapse.
In the footage, the shopkeeper is seen sitting casually on a stool outside his shop. Within moments, the five-storey PG building opposite suddenly begins to collapse into a massive mound of rubble.
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Sensing something was terribly wrong after hearing the loud sound of cracking concrete and noticing movement in the building, the shopkeeper instantly jumps up and races down the narrow alley.
Just moments after he escapes, a gigantic cloud of dust and debris surges across the area where he had been sitting, completely obscuring the CCTV camera’s view.
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Collapse Raises Questions Over Structural Safety
The approximately 50-year-old building, locally known as ‘Hostel Daze’, was being used as student accommodation, largely due to its proximity to Delhi University’s South Campus. The tragic collapse has once again put the spotlight on structural safety, building-code enforcement, fire safety compliance and alleged unauthorised construction or renovation in densely populated student areas of the national capital.
Following the tragedy, authorities have registered an FIR against the owner of the premises. A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered to determine what triggered the structural failure and establish responsibility for the deadly disaster.
MCD suspends officials
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) suspended multiple officials on Monday, including the Deputy Commissioner South Zone, Executive Engineer-South Zone, Superintendent Engineer-South Zone, Assistant Engineer-Zone, and a Junior Engineer.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the collapse has risen to seven, with 12 rescued as rescue operations are ongoing.
Giving details of the rescue operation, IG NDRF Narendra Singh Bundela said it was difficult to give an exact timeline for completion of the operation.
“We have a mandate for technical search and rescue, so we are working on that. The State Government is already looking into the matter. The Delhi Government is assessing the situation. It will be difficult for me to comment on the exact time, but it should take the whole day because removing the rubble and tracing victims inside the rubble takes a lot of time,” he said.