Delhi: 3-storey commercial building reduced to rubble; 12 rescued as search continues

A three-storey commercial building near Delhi's Saket Metro station collapsed on Saturday evening, trapping several people under the debris and triggering a massive rescue operation involving the NDRF, Delhi Fire Services, police and district authorities.

At least 12 people were rescued from the rubble, including two who sustained critical injuries, officials said. Rescue teams continued combing through the debris late into the night to ensure no one remained trapped.

"A total of 12 people have been rescued. Two are critically injured. It doesn't look like anyone else is trapped but the search operation is still ongoing," a senior police officer said.

The building on Western Marg in Saidulajab, which housed coaching centres, cafes and offices, collapsed around 7.45 pm while construction work was reportedly underway on the third floor.

The entire structure crumbled into a massive pile of concrete, twisted steel and broken pillars, crushing an adjoining tin-shed canteen where students were having dinner.

Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos.

"All we could hear were screams coming from under the rubble. There was a huge cloud of dust. When it settled, we realised that part of an adjoining structure had also been affected," a local resident said.

According to Delhi Fire Services, three people were rescued by local residents and PCR personnel before firefighters arrived. Others were later pulled out by rescue teams with support from the NDRF.

Among the injured was 25-year-old Neelam Yadav, an MBBS graduate preparing for postgraduate entrance examinations at a coaching institute in the building complex.

Her father, Balwant Yadav, said she was inside the canteen when the structure collapsed.

"At the time of the incident, around 30 to 35 students were present in the canteen. Most of them were preparing for medical entrance examinations. My daughter suffered a fracture in her leg and is currently undergoing treatment," he said.

Residents said the building was a busy hub for students and office-goers throughout the day. Initial fears of a major tragedy spread quickly, with locals claiming as many as 100 to 150 people could be trapped.

"Several cafes, coaching centres and corporate offices were operating from the premises. The building was relatively new and probably constructed around four or five years ago," said local resident Ravindra Singh.

Authorities, however, said the exact number of people inside at the time of the collapse remains unclear.

District administration officials said rescue operations would continue until every section of debris had been searched.

"The exact number of fatalities, if any, can only be confirmed after all the trapped individuals are evacuated and shifted to hospital," said Dharamveer Singh, an official from the district magistrate's office.

Ravinder Singh, president of the Chaar Gaon Committee, said many of those feared trapped were likely students attending coaching classes nearby.

As darkness fell, rescue teams worked under floodlights using JCB excavators, hydraulic cutters, victim-location cameras, earth-auger drilling machines and sniffer dogs to search the rubble.

Visuals from the site showed anxious relatives, students and residents gathered around the collapsed structure, while many rushed between hospitals, including AIIMS, seeking information about missing family members.

Deputy commissioner of police (South) Anant Mittal said police received information about the collapse around 7.35 pm and immediately rushed personnel to the spot.

"It was found that an old building had collapsed and the debris had fallen on an adjacent cabin-like structure. We have been informed that the premises were being used as a canteen for medical students and some people may be trapped," he said.

Police said a case would be registered and an investigation launched to examine the ownership of the building, whether construction permissions were in place and if any negligence contributed to the collapse.

With PTI inputs