Rescuers look for survivors after New Delhi hostel collapse kills 7
NEW DELHI (AP) — Search and rescue teams combed through the debris of a collapsed building in New Delhi on Monday as the death toll climbed to seven, officials said. The five-story building, which housed a boys’…
Rescue operations are underway in New Delhi, India, after a building collapse claimed seven lives on Sunday, September 6, 2026. The five-story structure, which served as a boys’ hostel, crumbled in the densely populated Satya Niketan neighborhood near Delhi University. The death toll has since risen to seven, with six people injured, according to officials. Rescue workers, comprising police, firefighters, and personnel from India’s disaster response agency, have been combing through the debris since Monday.
At least 12 individuals were pulled from the rubble on the second day of the search. The Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, reported that approximately 80% of the debris had been cleared, leaving only the basement rubble.
The building, at least 55 years old, had been undergoing renovation for months before reopening to tenants, primarily students, in August. Despite unfinished work, the building reopened. Prakash Chand, a local resident, stated that laborers were engaged in basement excavation when the structure collapsed.
Preliminary investigations point to possible water accumulation in the basement and ongoing repair work on the aging building as potential causes of the collapse. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced plans to introduce a policy mandating regular structural audits and safety certifications for public buildings, including student accommodations, nursing homes, and schools. Buildings failing to meet these safety standards would face restrictions on public activity.
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