Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday arrived in Satya Niketan to oversee the second day of search and rescue operations, where a decades-old multi-storey building collapsed, leaving six dead and several injured.
So far, 12 people have been pulled out of the debris, seven of whom have died.
Gupta, who had visited the site on Sunday as well, was accompanied by senior officials from the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) during her review.
The chief minister has ordered sealing of all buildings in the city which have five floors.
“Strict action will be taken against MCD officials found responsible. Instructions have been issued to immediately seal buildings in Delhi having a fifth floor,” she said in a statement.
Talking to reporters, Gupta said water accumulation in the basement of the Satya Niketan building led to the collapse.
“Approximately 80 per cent of the debris has been cleared, with only the basement debris remaining. Water had accumulated in the basement, and the combination of this with ongoing repair work on the old structure led to the collapse,” she said.
The chief minister said the injured children are receiving proper medical treatment and their parents are receiving updates about them. “The situation is being closely monitored by Health Minister J P Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah and the prime minister,” she added.
Gupta also said that the building adjacent to the one collapsed will be demolished.
“Residents of the collapsed building and adjacent unsafe buildings have been evacuated. The standing building, which appears extremely dangerous, will be demolished once the debris is cleared,” Gupta said.
A structural audit will be conducted of all such buildings, and strict action will follow, she said.
“A policy is also being drafted requiring owners of old buildings to submit structural audit reports and certify their safety before operating paying guest (PG) services, nursing homes, schools or other commercial establishments. Officials found responsible for negligence will also face immediate action,” she said.
On Sunday, the Delhi government ordered a magisterial probe into the building collapse.
“Following an on-site review and based on the preliminary assessment, the chief minister has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and FIR against the building owner,” the Delhi CMO had said in a post on X.
Gupta, who also met the injured at AIIMS, vowed strict punishment for the guilty, while her office said the government is in touch with the families of the injured students and is providing them the necessary support.
The building, which housed a boys’ paying guest accommodation near Delhi University’s South Campus, collapsed at around 1.30 pm on Sunday while the repair work was underway.
Multiple agencies, including the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force and Delhi Disaster Management Authority, have carried out rescue operations through the night.
Residents said most of the students staying in the locality were from Keralam, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and studied mainly at Motilal Nehru College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College and Sri Venkateswara College across the road.
