Six killed in Delhi building collapse as rescuers search rubble

At least six people were killed and several others injured after a building housing students collapsed in India’s capital Delhi, the city’s chief minister has said, as rescuers searched the rubble for anyone still trapped.

The building, located in southern Delhi near colleges and universities, had a basement and five upper floors and was being used to accommodate students, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

“It is certain that there was water in the building’s basement, and due to accumulation of water, due to ongoing repair work, the old building collapsed,” Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta told reporters.

Footage from the site after Sunday’s collapse showed piles of bricks and broken concrete pillars, while police, rescue workers and local residents searched for survivors trapped under the debris.

Gupta said six people who were rescued alive and taken to a nearby hospital were in stable condition.

Police were searching for the building’s owner, television channels reported.

Building collapses are common in India, particularly in densely populated urban areas where unauthorised construction is widespread and enforcement of building regulations is often weak.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov