Seven people died and five others were injured after a five-storey paying guest facility named ‘Hostel Daze’ collapsed in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday, June 6. According to NDTV, the victims included students and labourers who were working in the building’s basement. The structure, located near the heart of Delhi University’s South Campus, housed roughly 15 rooms with two to three students sharing each space, according to Rajen Chhetri, who works with the Delhi Police.
Rescue Delays and Eyewitness Accounts at Satya Niketan
Eyewitnesses and students present at the site told NDTV that they had to pull their trapped friends out from under the rubble because official help arrived late. One student shared video footage backing his claim, stating that the National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) arrived about two and a half hours after the collapse, reaching the scene around 4 p.m. following the 1:30 p.m. incident. Residents in nearby buildings rushed out of their homes after feeling a “sudden tremor” before discovering the pile of debris in the congested colony.
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Building Safety and Student Housing Costs
Students living in the area reported being completely unaware that the building—which one student stated was probably 40 years old—had been served notice. One student told NDTV that nobody anticipated a collapse despite the structure’s age. Occupants also highlighted the high cost of living in the neighborhood, noting that triple-sharing rooms cost between Rs 15,000 and Rs 16,000. Repair or construction work was underway in the basement when the building crumbled.
Political Fallout Over Delhi University Hostels
The tragedy has been put in focus as Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections are near. Students like Sawai Sharma told NDTV that politicians only pay attention to the area because elections are near. Sawai Sharma blamed the ABVP for not fulfilling its promise of increasing hostel rooms in Delhi University campuses.
In response, Shravan B. Raj, national secretary of the ABVP, shifted the blame to the Delhi University authorities during his interview with NDTV. He stated that the group has kept a demand to increase the hostel seats, and 2,300 seats are being constructed, but the Delhi University administration has utterly failed to implement that. Shravan B. Raj added that leaders have been conveying the issue to the Centre as well, but no action has been taken so far. It is not clear when the additional 2,300 hostel seats will be constructed. For now, students will have to live in their small PG rooms and face consequences if anything happens.
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