AT LEAST seven people were killed and several others injured after a building housing students in India's capital Delhi collapsed, as rescuers searched for anyone still trapped in the debris.
The owner of the building in Satya Niketan that collapsed, claiming the lives of seven people, was apprehended from Rajasthan's Bhiwadi area on Monday, the Delhi Police said.
An officer said, "Hariram Gupta has been apprehended from Bhiwadi. Further examination is ongoing in connection with the case."
The decades-old five-story building in southwest Delhi's Satya Niketan housed a boys' PG. It collapsed during repair work on Sunday. Seven people have died so far, while rescue operations continue.
The decades-old five-story building housing the boys' PG accommodation, Hostel Daze, collapsed on Sunday as repair work was underway, turning a student neighborhood into the site of a deadly tragedy.
The building stood in the densely packed area near Delhi University's South Campus, surrounded by colleges such as Motilal Nehru College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College and Sri Venkateswara College.
Delhi hotel fire kills at least 21 people
The building, located in the southern part of the city near colleges and universities, had a basement and five upper floors and was being used to house students, local media reported.
"It is certain that there was water in the building's basement, and due to accumulation of water, due to ongoing repair work, the old building collapsed," Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta told reporters.
Visuals after the collapse on Sunday showed heaps of bricks and broken concrete pillars at the site, with police, rescuers and locals searching for trapped survivors.
The building collapse in Satya Niketan comes months after a similar incident in south Delhi near the Saket metro station in May, which had left six dead. A government-appointed probe committee had found the Municipal Corporation of Delhi primarily responsible for the collapse.
Fire at training centre in India's Lucknow kills at least 15
For students arriving in the national capital from across the country, Satya Niketan's proximity to Delhi University's South Campus makes it an easy place to look for a home, even when the room, food and facilities fall short.
The five-story building that collapsed in south Delhi's Satya Niketan on Sunday, killing seven people, housed a boys' PG. Its collapse has left students living in the neighborhood in a state of uncertainty about the buildings around them, but also about why so many of them end up living in PGs in the first place.
For most freshers, Satya Niketan is one of the first places they hear about when they start looking for accommodation near South Campus. The lanes are full of PGs, messes, shops and cafes, and the metro station and colleges are within easy reach. With hostel accommodation unavailable at several colleges and limited even where it exists, students often have little room to be selective.
Another hotel fire kills nine in India as Kolkata blaze sparks safety probe
In a scathing attack against the BJP over the Satya Niketan PG building collapse, the Congress on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "PR balloon" had been deflated and termed the "four engine government" in Delhi a killing machine claiming the lives of students.
A day after the five-story building in the congested area near Delhi University's South Campus collapsed, killing seven people, the opposition party demanded that action be taken against all those responsible. It also demanded that affordable accommodation be provided to students, a rent control act be brought for hostels and PGs and Rs 1 crore compensation be given to the family of those who have lost their lives.
Addressing a press conference along with NSUI president Vinod Jakhar, Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar said it is unfortunate that there is no clarity even after 24 hours and the debris has not yet been fully cleared.
(With inputs from agencies)
