Death of two UP students in Delhi building collapse leaves families shattered

Among those who died in the building collapse at Satya Niketan were two students from Uttar Pradesh; 20-year-old Abhishek Kharwar of Chandauli was preparing for competitive exams alongside his B Com degree, while 18-year-old Pawan Singh of Auraiya had just begun his BSc course

Among those who died in the building collapse at Satya Niketan were two students from Uttar Pradesh; 20-year-old Abhishek Kharwar of Chandauli was preparing for competitive exams alongside his B Com degree, while 18-year-old Pawan Singh of Auraiya had just begun his BSc course.

For their families in Uttar Pradesh, the journey that began with hope ended with the arrival of their sons’ bodies.

Kharwar had moved to Delhi in 2025 for higher studies, his family said, as he completed his second year of B Com and wanted to pursue an MBA. His father, Santosh Kharwar, had spoken to him on September 5 and paid his hostel fee, but a day later, he could not reach his son.

On Tuesday, Santosh performed his son’s last rites at Varanasi’s Manikarnika Ghat.

Amid his grief, he sought to know why students were allowed to stay in the building if construction work was being undertaken. “Parents raise their children with so much care. When they send them to another city for studies, they expect them to be safe,” he said.

Santosh also spoke about the conditions students often face in paying guest accommodations, adding that his son paid around ₹13,000 a month, but frequently complained about the quality of food. He said students sometimes have little choice but to continue living in such places because operators demand high advance payments.

He appealed to the Delhi government to strengthen safety norms for student accommodations.

In Auraiya’s Dibiyapur, Singh’s death left another family shattered. His family members said that they believed it was the start of a successful journey, but it ended in tragedy. He was the lone son among the five children of Dr Vishwambhar Nath Singh and Meera Singh, they said.

Singh had secured admission to a BSc course on July 20 and had recently visited home for Raksha Bandhan and stayed on to celebrate Janmashtami before leaving for Delhi, his family said.

His father rushed to Delhi upon learning about the collapse and brought the body home on Monday evening. His ailing mother was told about her son’s death only after his body arrived.

Pawan’s cousin Vijay Singh, a Delhi University student, was among the first relatives to reach Satya Niketan. He recalled a scene of dust, confusion and cries as anxious people searched for their loved ones. Pawan’s last rites were performed in Auraiya on Tuesday at Mukti Dhaam in Dibiyapur by his elder sister Priyanshi.

His sisters were distraught, and their mother said: “We had sent him to become an officer. His body has returned.”