Delhi hostel collapses, up to 50 students feared trapped

A five-storey hostel in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood of south Delhi collapsed on Saturday morning, killing at least one person and leaving up to 50 students feared trapped beneath the rubble, authorities said. Two people were critically injured and six were rescued alive as emergency teams worked through the site.

The hostel, known locally as Hostel Daze, had been home to dozens of students studying in the Indian capital. Officials said construction work being carried out in the basement had weakened load-bearing pillars, causing the upper floors to give way. The building was estimated to be between 40 and 50 years old.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the site and said all available resources had been deployed in the rescue effort. Members of the National Students' Union India also arrived at the scene to assist survivors and demand accountability from the building's owners.

Local authorities said the rubble-clearing operation was continuing into the afternoon, with rescue workers using cranes and cutting equipment to access areas where people were believed to be trapped. Hospitals in the vicinity were placed on alert to receive casualties.