Seven Dead in South Delhi Building Collapse; Three Arrested Including Owner

New Delhi, September 7 (Daily Kiran) : A tragic building collapse in South Delhi has resulted in seven fatalities, prompting the arrest of three individuals, including the owner. The incident occurred at the Saty Niketan PG building, where rescue operations continued for over 24 hours before concluding on Monday evening.

Rescue teams managed to extract 12 individuals from the debris after the collapse, which happened around 1:30 PM on Sunday. Sadly, seven of these individuals succumbed to their injuries during treatment. Authorities confirmed that the bodies have been returned to their families.

The deceased have been identified as 20-year-old Abhishek from Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh; 20-year-old Yuvraj Soni from Durg, Chhattisgarh; 17-year-old Pawan from Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh; 19-year-old Arpit Jahaz from Dewas, Madhya Pradesh; 18-year-old Akshat Singh Yadav from Katni, Madhya Pradesh; and 75-year-old Surendra Singh, a laborer. The identity of one victim remains unknown.

Among the injured are Asgar Ali (30), Neeraj Bawa (19), Aditya Kumar (19), Nitish Chib (19), and Mo. Ayan (18). Medical officials report that three of them are in critical condition.

The police have arrested the building owner, 75-year-old Urmila, along with her 81-year-old husband, retired IAF Sergeant Hariram, and their 52-year-old son, Mahesh, a hardware businessman. Investigations are underway to identify the operators of the PG and the labor contractor involved.

Authorities discovered that the PG, named “Hostel Days,” was registered in Urmila’s name, but it was managed and operated by her husband and son. The electricity connection for the building’s two additional floors was registered under Hariram’s name.

In response to the incident, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has suspended five officials, including Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar and Superintending Engineer Ranveer Singh.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has vowed to take action against anyone found guilty and has instructed civic agency officials to seal unauthorized fifth floors across the city. She has also called for a magistrate-led investigation into the tragedy.