A major tragedy struck South Delhi on Saturday when a five-storey residential building collapsed near Saket, and people feared that many people might be trapped under the debris. Emergency services rushed to the scene immediately after the incident and started a massive search and rescue operation.
The building suddenly gave way, and there was a massive dump of rubble, so people were scared to death," neighbours said. There was the sound of crashing before the whole building collapsed on itself."
Team members of the Delhi Fire Service, police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local administration immediately went on search and rescue duty. Heavy machinery and specialised rescue equipment have been brought in to clear the debris and locate any survivors.
Officials weren’t sure how many people were still inside the building. Rescuers are digging through the rubble carefully, and the safety of nearby structures is guaranteed. Ambulances are also at the site to provide immediate medical aid to those who have been rescued.
Residents joined emergency workers in the immediate rescue efforts before professional rescue teams took over. Local authorities have cordoned off the area to prevent onlookers from entering the dangerous site and to allow for orderly rescue work.
Senior officials are monitoring the situation closely, and an investigation will be conducted to establish the cause of the collapse. Preliminary evaluations of the building’s condition will also look at the building’s safety and recent construction activity in the vicinity.
So far, the authorities have asked residents to stay away from the area and cooperate with the emergency response teams. The deaths and injuries to the people rescued, the number of people who were injured and the number of people who were rescued and the number of people who escaped are still unclear, but the survivors are not yet clear.
The incident has once again raised questions about building safety and structural compliance in densely populated urban areas of the national capital. Rescue efforts will continue through the night until all trapped individuals are accounted for.
