Trapped DU student made a video call from under debris of Delhi PG, rescued

A DU student trapped under the rubble of the collapsed PG building in south Delhi's Satya Niketan recorded an 11-second SOS video call, seeking help. The student was later rescued and admitted to hospital, where he was kept under observation and was not in critical condition.

In Short

• DU student sought help through video call from collapsed Satya Niketan PG
• He was rescued after video, posted by NSUI, went viral
• Building owner detained after absconding day after tragedy

Dust covers his face. Blood stains are visible. Around him are chunks of concrete and twisted debris. Yet, trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed PG building in south Delhi's Satya Niketan, a DU student remains conscious enough to pick up his phone and make a video call seeking help. The student was later rescued after a clip of his video call went viral.

In the 11-second video shared on X at around 5.30 pm by the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student is seen lying beneath the debris and moving his phone camera around to show the cramped space where he is trapped as he seeks help.

The student, identified as Aditya, a second-year B.Com student at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, was later rescued and admitted to hospital, reported The Indian Express. Delhi Fire Service sources told the newspaper that he was under observation and was not in a critical condition.

The video offers a chilling glimpse of the ordeal faced by students trapped inside the building. Seven people have died in the collapse so far.

Around 40 to 50 students were believed to have been inside the building when it collapsed around 1:30 pm on Sunday. Identified as Hostel Daze, the nearly 50-year-old structure was being used as a boys' PG.

The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear.

Police said renovation work was underway on the ground floor when it collapsed. A local, however, claimed that repair or construction work was also underway in the basement. Locals further claimed that water had accumulated there after days of rain, possibly weakening the foundation.

The Delhi government suspended five officers -- MCD's Deputy Commissioner, Executive Engineer, Superintendent Engineer, Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineer following the incident.

Eleven people have so far been rescued, while rescue teams continued to search for those feared trapped under the rubble. Ten injured people were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, the hospital said.

A senior MCD official said the structure stood on a 55-square-yard plot in a resettlement colony and was a G+4 structure, despite the original permission being only for a G+1 building.

Police detained building owner Hari Ram Gupta in Rajasthan's Bhiwadi, who was on the run following the incident. Police had formed 10 teams to catch him and seized his passport so that he couldn't flee the country. Hari Ram faces charges including culpable homicide, negligence in maintaining a structure and endangering public safety.

Earlier today, the Delhi Police issued a look-out notice against Hari Ram and conducted raids at his associates' homes at multiple locations, including Gurugram. Hari Ram is based in Gurugram.

'STUDENTS MAKING PHONE CALLS FROM RUBBLE'

BJP MLA Anil Sharma, who visited the collapse site, said rescue teams were still receiving calls from people trapped inside.

"We are even getting calls from those who are trapped inside. Teams are continuously in touch with those who are trapped inside; we pray to God that all people are safe," the RK Puram legislator said on Sunday. Satya Niketan falls under the RK Puram Assembly seat.

Some of those trapped made phone calls from beneath the rubble seeking help, locals said.

Rescue teams continued their operations while locals also joined the frantic efforts, using their bare hands and whatever tools they could find to clear the debris.

The collapsed building stood in the congested colony near Delhi University's South Campus, an area packed with student PGs, eateries and shops.

A local, Rajen Chhetri, who works with the Delhi Police, said the building had around 15 rooms, with two to three students staying in each room. He said repair or construction work was underway in the basement.

"Most of the students staying here are from Kerala, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and study mainly at Motilal Nehru College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College and Sri Venkateswara College. They were paying around Rs 12,000 per bed," Chhetri said.

Following the collapse, the MCD ordered the immediate sealing of illegal constructions exceeding four floors. An adjoining building housing a women's PG was also evacuated and sealed as a precautionary measure.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the collapse site and ordered a magisterial inquiry.

- Ends
(with inputs from PTI)