Saket building collapse: Rescue operation in final stage; FIR lodged, owner at large

Rescue and debris-clearance operations at the Saket building collapse site were in their final stage on Monday, with emergency teams still deployed as a precautionary measure, officials said.

A Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said teams would remain deployed at the site until “every single inch” of the area is cleared to ensure that no person remains trapped under the rubble.

Police have registered an FIR under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings etc) and 125(a) (act, endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the owner of the building.

Multiple police teams have been formed to trace and arrest the owner, who remains absconding, the police said.

Six people were killed and eight others injured after a multi-storey commercial building housing a coaching centre, cafes and offices collapsed near Saket Metro Station in south Delhi on Saturday evening.

The police said most of the victims were students and aspirants preparing for competitive exams, including the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE). Five of the injured succumbed to injuries at AIIMS, while another died at Safdarjung Hospital.

The incident occurred around 7.40 pm on Westend Marg in the Saidulajab area, a locality known for coaching institutes, libraries, hostels and eateries frequented by students preparing for medical, engineering and other competitive exams.

Authorities are investigating whether structural weaknesses, ongoing construction activity on the upper floors or violations of building norms contributed to the collapse.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has suspended an assistant engineer and a junior engineer over alleged lapses in supervision related to the building.