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Collapse at 1:30 pm to night-long rescue: Blow-by-blow of Delhi's Satya Niketan PG tragedy
As the rescue operations enter a second day, teams from NDRF, SDRF and more continue to clear up the debris and search for any bodies.
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At least seven people have died, and several have been injured after a building in Delhi's Satya Niketan area collapsed on Sunday. As the rescue operations enter a second day, teams from NDRF, SDRF and more continue to clear up the debris and search for any bodies that may have been trapped under the rubble.
The building, which was a paying-guest accommodation for boys, raised questions about safety and the enforcement of construction and fire safety norms in the national capital. Track LIVE updates here
Also Read | 'Save me or I'll die': Cries from under the rubble in Satya Niketan building collapse
Deep Dive
As the rescue operations continue on a second day, here's a look at what happened.
How things unfolded at Satya Niketan | A timeline of events
Sunday -
- 1:30pm - Building collapses. First calls made for rescue, with many people feared trapped under the debris.
- 1:34 pm - Eight fire tenders rush to the spot and begin the search and rescue
- 3pm - Chief Minister Rekha Gupta takes notice of the incident and says the NCT government is closely monitoring the rescue operation.
- 3:20pm - All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, confirms it has received patients in the trauma centre.
- 3:30pm - Officials told HT that around six to seven students had been rescued but search remains underway for others who may have been trapped. Police officials also revealed information regarding the building, stating that the construction in the basement may have contributed to the collapse. As per officials familiar with the matter, the construction had been going on for the past 10 to 15 days.
- 4:45pm - AIIMS Delhi confirms the first death of the incident.
- 5pm - Union home minister Amit Shah takes notice of the incident and cancels his Goa event to monitor the situation. Meanwhile, a statement released by police stated that the collapsed building as 40 to 50 years old and had a basement and five upper storeys. Amid the search and rescue, chief minister Rekha Gupta and labour minister Kapil Mishra reached the site of the incident.
- 6 to 7pm- AIIMS Delhi confirms that the death toll has increased to three.
- 8pm - CM Rekha Gupta arrives at AIIMS Delhi trauma centre to oversee the situation and meet injured students.
- 8:30pm - Sri Venkateswara College and Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College announce shelters for affected students, opening canteens and providing other emergency relief. Furthermore, Venkateswara College also declared a holiday in view of the rescue operation and the safety of students.
- 9pm - Delhi health minister Pankaj Singh arrives at the site.
- 10pm - Death toll climbs to five after AIIMS Delhi confirms two more deaths.
What is the situation today?
As of Monday, the death toll has climbed to six after AIIMS Delhi confirmed another death at 7am. Another body was recovered from the site at 12 noon, taking the death toll to seven.
CM Gupta visited the site again and announced that strict action will be taken against officials found responsible for negligence. The Delhi government also ordered the immediate sealing of buildings with four-storeys and more.
Speaking to reporters on site, CM Gupta added that adjacent buildings in the area have been evacuated, and a structural audit has been called for the paying guest accommodations.
Furthermore, the Delhi High Court has also agreed to hear a PIL regarding the collapse of the building in the South Campus area.
