Delhi building collapse: Survivors recount 'blast-like' tragedy as death toll rises to 6

At least six people have died so far, with several others injured, a day after the collapse of a five-storey building at Saeedulajab in Delhi's Mehrauli area.

A multi-agency effort comprising the NDRF, fire services, the police, Delhi's disaster management personnel, civil defence teams, and others remain engaged in rescue operations in a bid to pull out more survivors from the debris of the building.

This has put the spotlight on the survivors of the tragedy that took place in a densely populated part of Saeedulajab known for being a student hub with coaching centres and paying guest accommodations.

"It felt like the entire area suddenly disappeared," Ronit, a medical aspirant who was near the canteen adjoining the building, told PTI.

The collapsed building housed coaching institutes, cafes, offices and a co-working space, the report noted.

"I saw a portion of the building falling and realised that the structure was about to collapse. There was a loud sound, and within seconds everything turned dusty. We could not see who was standing where. People were screaming and running in all directions," he added.

This emphasises the sheer scale of the building's collapse—it did not just affect those who may have been inside at the time, but also people walking in the area and those in adjacent buildings, such as the canteen.

Another of the survivors, who was injured during the ordeal, was identified as Ashutosh, who first mistook the vibrations during the collapse as routine tremors from the Saket metro station nearby.

"But within moments it became stronger and then everything collapsed ... I tried to move away, but some concrete parts fell and hit me, and then I fell and, crawling out, I managed to come out," he recalled, adding that other students helped him get to an ambulance.

Another person, Roma, explained how she managed to avoid the incident altogether by a massive stroke of luck.

She explained that she had gone out near the metro station for coffee and fresh air just five minutes before the building collapsed.

"While walking back, I heard a blast-like noise and rushed to see the building collapsed."

The case so far

Amid the ongoing rescue operations, a probe has also been launched into the cause of the building collapse.

Two engineers were also suspended by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Sunday in connection with the tragedy.

An MCD notice has also identified the "non-exercising of effective supervision and slackness" as the reason for the suspension of Aman Jain and Audesh Singh Chouhan.