Saket building collapse: Death toll rises to 4, FIR registered

An FIR has been registered after the collapse of a three-storey commercial building near Saket Metro station in south Delhi, which claimed the lives of four people, while many others were rescued and admitted to hospital, an official said on Sunday.

Police sources said that some of the injured and deceased were preparing for the Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) Examination.

The building on Western Marg in the Saidulajab area collapsed on Saturday evening. The structure housed a coaching institute, cafes and offices, while construction work was reportedly underway on the upper floor at the time of the incident.

“A total of four people have died in the incident. Rescue operation is underway. A case of culpable homicide has been registered, and teams are investigating the entire matter,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal told PTI.

The police said the building was reduced to rubble, with debris crashing onto an adjoining tin shed canteen frequented by students preparing for medical entrance examinations.

All the injured were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment.

A multi-agency rescue operation involving the NDRF, DFS, DDMA, Delhi Police and local volunteers continued through the night.

Rescue teams deployed heavy machinery, hydraulic cutters, victim-location cameras and sniffer dogs to search for those trapped beneath the debris.

The operation was concluded after all trapped persons were accounted for, officials said.

The exact cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained. Authorities have initiated an inquiry into the incident.