Seven dead, and Delhi still counting the rubble
The Satya Niketan collapse has exposed a rescue operation without a reliable count of who may still be trapped.
Rescue teams search the debris of the collapsed hostel in Delhi’s Satya Niketan as officials continue to establish the toll.
Seven people have died after a five-storey private hostel building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday, September 6, according to Delhi Police and AIIMS figures reported on Monday. Twelve people were rescued or retrieved from the debris — a figure that includes the seven who later died, not 12 survivors.
The NDRF said one more person was still being retrieved and that it could not specify how many people remained trapped. Rescue teams from the NDRF, Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police and civic agencies continued operations into a second day, using canines to search the debris.
The cause has not been established. Reports have referred to repair work, basement excavation and water accumulation as possible lines of investigation. The MCD has suspended four engineers and a junior engineer, while police action against the building owner has been reported. A magisterial inquiry has also been announced.
For now, Delhi has seven confirmed dead, one person still being brought out, and no dependable count of those who may remain inside. The paperwork, as usual, is arriving before certainty.