“I asked her to open the canteen, but now I regret it,” said Neelam, daughter of Parvati, who lost her life in the building collapse in south Delhi’s Saket, alleging that concerns about parts of the structure shedding concrete had been raised earlier.
Six people were killed and eight others injured when a multi-storey commercial building housing a coaching centre, cafes and offices collapsed near Saket Metro Station on the evening of May 30. Rescue teams continued search and clearance operations for more than 24 hours after the incident.
Neelam said her mother managed to come out of the building after signs of collapse became evident, but went back inside to help students, who were still trapped.
Parvati ran a canteen on the premises that catered largely to students attending coaching institutes in the area. Neelam said the canteen had been operating there for about three years and recently entered its fourth year.
“It was actually my idea that she should open the canteen. Now I regret it,” she said.
Neelam alleged that rescue efforts during the initial hours after the collapse were slow and claimed that they repeatedly informed authorities about the location where Parvati was trapped under the debris.
She also alleged that they had previously noticed pieces of concrete falling from parts of the building and had raised concerns about its condition.
“The real fault lies with the building owner,” she said, alleging that construction work had been continuing on the upper floors and that building materials had occasionally fallen during the course of the work.
She said that they were paying Rs 1 lakh monthly rent for the canteen and added that the family has demanded compensation.
“I will fight for my mother. We want compensation. She paid Rs 1 lakh rent for the canteen, she deserves justice,” Neelam asserted.
Five of those injured in the collapse were declared dead at AIIMS, while another succumbed at Safdarjung Hospital, officials said. Five injured persons remain under treatment at AIIMS, while three have been discharged.
Preeti, who helped run the canteen and was on the site when the building collapsed, recalled hearing loud sounds moments before the structure gave way.
She said she stepped outside and saw debris falling from the structure. “It looked like the building was about to collapse. I started shouting at everyone to get out,” she said.
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According to her, Parvati had nearly exited the area but turned back to warn students and others still inside. “She went back because of the children,” Preeti said.
She claimed that workers had been carrying out construction activity on the upper floors for several months and that there had been visible seepage in parts of the building.
Preeti further said that students and local people initially joined rescue efforts by manually removing debris before specialised teams intensified operations.
The family has demanded a thorough investigation into the incident and accountability for those found responsible.
Neelam said, “We come from humble circumstances. When we saw students who had come from outside and were struggling, we wanted them to eat properly.”
As rescue teams continued operations and investigators examined the cause of the collapse, grief-stricken relatives remembered Parvati as a woman who earned her livelihood serving students, and in her final moments, she chose to return to the building to help others get out safely.
An FIR has been registered under relevant sections, including culpable homicide, and teams have been formed to investigate the circumstances leading to the collapse and trace those responsible, officials said.
