At least six people are de@d and five critical after a hostel for students collapsed in Delhi with at least 40 others feared trapped under the rubble.
At least 12 fire crews were deployed to the horror scene in the India capital’s Satya Niketan area.
Information about the incident was first received at 1.33pm local time on Sunday, September 6, the Delhi Fire Service said.
Pictures from the scene show a large crowd gathered near the debris as rescuers work to clear the collapsed structure and reach people believed to be trapped underneath.
Anil Kumar Sharma, a BJP politician who represents the RK Puram constituency, said some of the trapped children inside have been making phone calls.
At the time of the collapse, an eyewitness claimed at least 50 students may be trapped under the rubble, NDTV reports. .
Nitin Jamwal, 19, a student who used to reside in the hostel till about a year ago told Hindustan Times the building was in poor condition.
“Everything here was bad here. The walls were cracking. Basement used to fill with water. Food was bad. There were two rooms on each floor,” he said.
His friend Niteesh is feared trapped.
A video filmed by a man trapped under the rubble as onlookers called for rescuers to help him has circulated online. Additional footage showed residents attempting to rescue survivors before disaster response teams arrived.
The exact number of people who were in the building at the time of the collapse is not yet known.
Expressing her concern, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta said an adjacent building has been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
She said: “Deeply concerned by the building collapse incident at Satya Niketan, RK Puram. Teams from DDMA, NDRF, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, MCD, CATS and Civil Defence are carrying out rescue operations on a war footing. The adjacent building has been vacated as a precautionary measure.
“Every possible effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped and provide immediate assistance to the affected families.”
She added that “the situation is being closely monitored and all concerned agencies are working in coordination. The safety and well-being of every citizen remain our highest priority.”