NEW DELHI — The death toll from the collapse of a multi-storey boys’ paying guest accommodation in South-West Delhi rose to three on Sunday afternoon, with emergency authorities fearing between 40 and 50 students remain trapped beneath heavy concrete rubble. A major multi-agency rescue operation is underway on a war footing near Delhi University’s South Campus, involving the National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Disaster Management Authority, Delhi Fire Services, municipal teams, and local police.
First responders have successfully pulled six to seven injured students alive from the debris, transporting them to nearby medical centres for urgent care. Officials at the AIIMS Trauma Centre confirmed that two of the admitted students remain in critical condition. Law enforcement received the initial emergency distress call regarding the collapse at the South Campus police station around 1:34 PM, prompting rapid deployment across the congested student residential belt.
Local residents and eyewitnesses identified the five-storey structure as “Hostel Daze,” a private student accommodation facility. Onlookers reported that the collapse also severely damaged and brought down an adjacent structure, trapping residents inside their rooms on a Sunday afternoon when student occupancy is typically at its peak. Authorities noted that official hostel registration registers are being examined to determine the exact number of occupants present during the structural failure.
Heavy rescue machinery, hydraulic cutters, and search equipment continue to operate at the scene to clear slabs and locate survivors stranded in the lower levels. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that disaster relief teams have been mobilised to expedite the extrication efforts, while civic authorities work to inspect surrounding edifices and secure the perimeter against further structural compromise.
