Families Mourning as Delhi PG Building Crumbles, Seven Dead

A sudden collapse of a five‑storey PG building in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area on Sunday afternoon left seven dead and shattered the hopes of dozens of families. The victims included students from three different states: Arpit Jaj (18) from Madhya Pradesh, Akshat Yadav (19) from Uttar Pradesh, Yuvraj Soni (20) from Chhattisgarh, and Pawan Kumar (17) from Uttar Pradesh, who had just enrolled in a computer‑science programme at Delhi University.

Rescue squads arrived within minutes, employing trained dogs and video surveillance to locate survivors. Twelve people were found buried, five of whom were rescued alive after prolonged effort. The remaining seven could not be revived. The building, built nearly four decades ago, had previously shown signs of wear, but no action was taken to reinforce it.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the student community, prompting demands for immediate safety audits of private hostels throughout the capital. Families describe a nightmarish scene: parents watching the rescue operations on live feeds, siblings anxiously waiting for news, and a mother who has not yet been told about her son’s death due to concerns over her mental health.

Experts argue that rapid urbanisation and the surge in demand for affordable student housing have created a regulatory vacuum. The tragedy underscores the urgent need for stricter enforcement of building codes, regular inspections, and transparent reporting mechanisms to protect the millions of students who migrate to Delhi each year.