Books, dreams and debris: Saket building collapse rattles aspirants, disrupts months of preparation

The collapse of a multi-storey building in south Delhi’s Saket area, which claimed six lives, has sent shockwaves through a neighbourhood known as a hub for students preparing for medical and engineering admissions abroad.

The day after the tragic incident, many aspirants described scenes of panic, dust, and devastation that disrupted months of intense preparation.

Located near Saket Metro station, the Said-Ul-Ajaib area is dotted with libraries, coaching institutes, hostels, and eateries that cater to hundreds of students, including Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) aspirants and candidates preparing for examinations such as NEET, GATE and other competitive tests.

For many in the area, however, the collapse has altered the character of a neighbourhood built around academic ambition.

Students and locals said the neighbourhood attracts aspirants from across India and even foreign nationals pursuing studies or coaching programmes.

Visuals from the collapse site showed a multi-storey commercial-residential building along a narrow lane, with a thick cloud of dust rising from its lower and middle floors as residents and bystanders gathered outside in shock.

Anil, an MBA graduate from Bokaro in Jharkhand who has lived in Delhi for the past year, lost his friend Raji in the collapse. He was studying in a library in an adjoining building when the incident occurred.

“There were several students in the library. We felt tremors, but there was no loud sound. Within moments, the building had collapsed,” he said.

Many students preparing for competitive examinations are now left traumatised; some lost friends, while others suffered injuries. “We were already under stress because of our exams. Now, nobody can focus. An important exam is coming up on June 28, and many students are mentally affected by what happened,” Anil added.

Several students noted that the library next to the collapsed structure housed around 150 students at the time. “We felt very strong vibrations. The ground seemed to be buzzing and shaking back and forth. Everyone panicked and rushed outside,” a student said.

Another student described the aftermath as “a post-apocalyptic scene”.

“There was dust everywhere. People ran out, leaving behind phones, books, laptops and tablets. Later, a few students went back to collect their belongings. When they returned, they said everything was covered in dust and debris,” he said.

Students mentioned that they pay thousands of rupees for long-term library memberships and spend most of their day there preparing for exams.

They explained that the library occupied multiple floors and served as a major study space for aspirants in the locality.

“The first floor had a party hall while the second and third floors had libraries on both sides. Across the building, there would easily be around 150 students studying there every day,” a student said.

Several students and locals alleged that construction work had recently been underway on upper floors of the building and claimed portions of the structure appeared newly built.

Some residents also alleged that several buildings in the area exceed the permissible number of floors and called for a wider structural audit of the neighbourhood.

“The locality remains crowded throughout the day due to the concentration of coaching centres, libraries, offices, salons, educational institutes and co-working spaces,” a resident said.

A student from Janakpuri, who lives in the area on rent, said the tragedy has left many aspirants struggling to focus on their studies.

“We have been preparing for months. Many of us came here from different states only to study. But now we have to somehow continue because there is no other option,” he said.

Several students also questioned the pace of the initial response, claiming rescue teams arrived nearly two hours after the collapse