‘Formed human chain’: How students, locals started rescue ops before NDRF arrived at Delhi building collapse

Among the many things in the pile of debris that was removed by them were plates, bottles, broken pipes, twisted iron roads and others.

A Sunday that started just like any other day in Delhi's Satya Niketan, a residential hub housing several Delhi University students, turned tragic when a five-storey building came crushing down at around 1.30 pm, killing at least seven people, injuring dozens, and trapping several others as figures continue to rise amid uncertainty.

Even when cranes arrived to move bigger chunks of the rubble, the locals and students continued removing the smaller parts to help the rescue mission. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

When the building, which was being used as a boys paying guest accommodation, collapsed, it was the students and locals around the collapse site who became the first responders and started digging through the debris to rescue people as relief teams were still on their way.

‘Formed a human chain, people started helping’

Recounting what had happened, Abhishek Mishra, a first-year student at Delhi University's Law Faculty, who was near the building at the time of collapse, said that it felt like an “earthquake”.

"We heard a very loud rumbling sound and suddenly the chairs we were sitting on started shaking. It felt like an earthquake. Then we saw a huge cloud of dust moving towards the right," news agency PTI quoted Mishra as saying.

He added that people, including locals and students, rushed towards the collapse site and started removing the debris by passing small pieces of debris through a human chain.

"We formed a human chain because there was so much rubble and it had to be cleared quickly," Mishra said.

Among the many things in the pile of debris that was removed by them were plates, bottles, broken pipes, twisted iron roads, broken toilet parts, and more, all in hope of reaching and rescuing those trapped inside.

Even when cranes arrived to move bigger chunks of the rubble, the locals and students continued removing the smaller parts to help the rescue mission.

"I knew many of the students who were staying there. That is why when the building collapsed, students from around the area immediately came out. Nobody was standing there waiting to be told what to do. People just started helping," Mishra said.

The building that collapsed was between 40 and 50 years old, according to officers. The locals said that some construction work was being carried out in the basement of the building when the collapse happened.

Satya Niketan a popular student hub near Delhi University's South Campus and has several paying guest accommodations housing students, who prefer to stay there due to proximity to their colleges.

Many of the students who were inside the building during collapse were students of Delhi University's Sri Venkateswara College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, and Motilal Nehru College.

Tack live updates of Delhi building collapse here

‘NDRF arrived an hour later’

Another student, Surjeet, who also lives in Satya Niketan said that the rescue teams of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service, and others arrived over an hour after the collapse and till then, students and locals rushed to the site to rescue people.

Surjeet said that people trapped on the upper side of the rubble were accessible and rescued. He added that those rescued immediately after the incident were alive but those who were pulled out of the rubble an hour or two after the collapse were reportedly among the fatalities.

“I am from Aryabhatta College. I believe the incident happened between 1:15 and 1:30 PM. Since I live in this area, I rushed over as soon as we heard about it... At that stage, there were no confirmed fatalities, though it was becoming clear who was trapped and who wasn't. We managed to pull out those who were accessible,” Surjeet told news agency ANI.

“Later, when the rescue team arrived after an hour or so, they took over, and we were asked to step aside. When the trapped victims were being rescued initially, they were alive. However, regarding those rescued an hour and a half or two hours later, the news that came in—or what was learned at the hospital—indicated fatalities... Then, cranes and JCBs arrived. As they started clearing the debris, everyone was moved aside. The police took charge and pushed the crowd back,” he added.

PG owner held

The owner of the building, Hariram Gupta, who lives in Gurugram, was held in Rajasthan on Monday, a day after the collapse.

This comes after a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him as he absconded after the collapse. He is currently in custody as probe goes on.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta directed authorities to seal all buildings in Delhi that have five floors after visiting the collapse site.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)