There have probably been a hundred drawing-room conversations about the badly maintained buildings in India. However, it is always tragic when these conversations become real proof, as happened when a four-story building collapsed near Saket, New Delhi, recently.
The news has resulted in a lot of anger at the authorities and officials, along with the owners, of course, who allowed this building to remain up and have renovation start on it when it wasn’t up to code. The building, which housed coaching centres, cafes, offices, and study facilities frequented by students preparing for competitive examinations, came down in a catastrophic “pancake collapse,” where upper floors crashed onto the floors below.
By the time rescue teams completed their operation, six people had lost their lives and several others had been injured. While survivors are sharing their stories, families of the victims have come forward to share the final conversations they had with loved ones only hours before the collapse.
Their recollections have provided a heartbreaking glimpse into the lives interrupted by one of Delhi’s deadliest building failures in recent years.
What Happened in the Saket Building Collapse?
According to Delhi authorities, a five-storey commercial structure collapsed on the evening of May 30 near Saket Metro station in South Delhi’s Saidulajab locality.
The building housed coaching institutes, offices, cafes, and student facilities, making it a busy hub throughout the day.
Witnesses described hearing a loud sound shortly before the collapse. Speaking to reporters, several local residents said the noise resembled a generator blast before the structure gave way and a massive cloud of dust engulfed the area.
The collapse triggered a large-scale emergency response involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service personnel, and local authorities. Rescue teams worked through the night and into the following day, using heavy machinery and specialised equipment to search for survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officers reportedly revealed that the fifth floor of the building was under construction. When the building collapsed, debris fell on a tin shed right beside it that was being used as a makeshift canteen for students, and trapped some of the students inside.
The DFS in a statement said, “The ground+3 floor building completely collapsed on the adjacent tin shed canteen. Some students who were having dinner there got trapped under the debris.”
As per reports, the police said that “prima facie, illegal construction work appeared to have been underway on the upper floors of the building for the past several months, due to which the incident took place”.
While the actual number is not known, around 12 people have been reported to be injured after they were caught under the debris, while 6 people have lost their lives in this tragedy. All the people pulled out by the rescue operations were taken to the AIIMS trauma centre for treatment, with six of them declared dead there.
The rescue operation lasted for more than 24 hours.
A resident told how, “We kept telling them to check specific spots where people could be trapped. Locals rescued eight to nine people before specialised teams arrived.”
On Monday, the Delhi Police revealed that they had arrested the 71-year-old owner, Karambir Sejwal. A police official said, “Karambir owns multiple properties in Delhi, and usually lives off the rents from them. He allowed the construction of the additional floors despite knowing about the norms he was flouting.”
According to reports, structures in the Saidulajab area are legally not allowed to have more than ground plus three storeys. However, this building was getting two additional floors constructed.
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Families Recall the Victims’ Final Words
Among the six victims were five medical and engineering graduates, a 26-year-old medical student preparing for the foreign medical graduate exam, a 22-year-old engineering aspirant, a 28-year-old aspirant for the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), and two other students.
The sixth was 35-year-old Parvati, who owned the kitchen and was “preparing parathas for the students” when the incident took place.
According to The Indian Express, Tara (40), a relative of Parvati, said, “She had started the mess with her husband and son about a year ago. When the building collapsed, she initially tried to run. But when she saw some of the students got stuck under debris, she went to help them and herself got trapped.”
A student also speaking with the media recalled, “Aunty never said no, however late we went to grab a bite.” Parvati’s daughter Neelam, speaking with TOI, said, “Until late at night, I could distinctly hear my mother’s screams.”
28-year-old Kapil, an aspirant for the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), who lost his life in the collapse, had actually gathered with five other friends at the canteen to celebrate an interview that went well.
Speaking with PTI, his friend said, “Kapil had called his friends because his interview had gone very well. They were sitting together in the canteen when the building collapsed.”
22-year-old Nalin Ray had moved from Nalanda in Bihar just six months ago after completing his BTech and was preparing for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). The son of a farmer, he had hopes of becoming a doctor. His uncle, Baikunth Nath, said, “Everything was normal. He was telling us that he would come home during the holidays.”
Ravi Prakash, 26, another victim, was the oldest of five siblings and the son of a farmer from Gonda, Uttar Pradesh (UP). His family said that he had recently finished his MBBS in Kyrgyzstan and was preparing for the Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) examination.
Jaiprakash, the victim’s uncle, speaking with The Indian Express, said, “His father is a farmer, and the family was hoping that he would become a doctor.”
Ramesh Chand, the father of another victim, medical student Ekta, said, “Yesterday afternoon, we spoke on the phone for about 17-18 minutes. She also spoke with her mother and brother. She would call home around 7.30 pm as part of her daily routine. She didn’t call last night. Later, one of her friends informed us that some mishap had occurred near her coaching centre.”
The manager of New Mahi Library, where victim Alok had been studying since last December, recalled how he had been a very dedicated student. He said, “He would study in the library for at least 10 to 12 hours daily. He really appeared to be very hardworking and was always willing to help other students.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Indian Express, The Telegraph, Hindustan Times
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Saket Building, Saket Building collapse, delhi, delhi news, MCD, south delhi, delhi building collapse, saket building collapse delhi, saket building collapse news, saket building collapse death, saket building collapse owner
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