By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
At least five people were killed and several others were feared trapped after a five-storey building housing a boys’ paying guest (PG) accommodation collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area on Sunday afternoon, triggering a massive rescue operation.
Eight people have so far been pulled out of the debris, police said. Two of those rescued were brought dead to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, while another succumbed to injuries during treatment. Five others are reported to be in critical condition.
The collapse occurred at around 1.30 pm in a congested lane near Delhi University’s South Campus. The building, reportedly around 40-50 years old, was being used as a student PG accommodation. Rescue teams have been working through the rubble amid concerns that more students could still be trapped inside.
Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Delhi Disaster Management Authority and other emergency agencies have been deployed at the site. Earth-moving and specialised rescue equipment is being used to clear the debris and locate survivors.
Local residents said they heard a loud sound when the structure came down and subsequently heard cries for help from beneath the rubble. Some people trapped inside were reportedly able to make phone calls, helping rescuers identify possible locations of survivors.
Preliminary reports indicate that repair or construction work was underway in the basement when the building collapsed. Investigators are examining whether the work weakened the structure’s supports. The exact cause of the collapse, however, has not yet been officially established.
The tragedy has also raised fresh questions over the safety of student PG accommodations in the densely populated Satya Niketan area, where several buildings are used as hostels and paying guest facilities.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has expressed grief over the incident and assured that all possible assistance is being provided. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also described the incident as distressing and expressed condolences to the families of those killed.
Rescue operations were continuing late Sunday evening as teams searched the debris for any remaining survivors.