Loud sound, cloud of dust: Students, locals form human chain; first responders recall moments after building collapse

Loud sound, cloud of dust: Students, locals form human chain; first responders recall moments after building collapse While two NDRF teams comprising 70 authorities reached the spot shortly after they were alerted regarding the incident and began the rescue operations, two further.

Key points

• 4 min read New Delhi Updated: Sep 7, 2026 05: 26 AM IST.
• According to authorities, a person was rescued in an unconscious state in regarding 15 minutes, while two others were safely pulled out in around 30 minutes.
• Deepak Kumar (21) was at a fast food outlet when, he remarked, he heard a loud sound.
• Rescue operations underway at the site of the incident in Satya Niketan, Sunday.
• To search for survivors beneath the debris, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) applied life detectors and trained search dogs.

Students who live in the PG accommodations near the building which collapsed in Satya Niketan on Sunday wait near the site of the incident as rescue operations continued overnight. (Express photo by Gajendra Yadav).

Barely a few minutes after the rescue operations began in South-west Delhi's Satya Niketan where a building collapsed on Sunday, students living in nearby paying guest (PG) accommodations and others formed a human chain. Bricks, stone slabs, broken chairs, pillows and mattresses were cleared after being pulled out of the debris so students. This person were trapped, could be spotted and rescued faster.

"I was in the washroom. My owner rushed out. There was a cloud of dust and nothing was visible. Individuals swiftly shut their shops. We ran and pulled out the owners of two shops that were in front of the building (that collapsed). One ran a paan stall, the other sold electrical goods. We additionally removed some vehicles. There was an old man whose leg was stuck. He was screaming for support. We pulled him, but we could hear individuals crying and shouting from inside. The mud produced their rescue tough, " he remarked.

"The locality has narrow lanes, and getting cranes inside was not straightforward. During the first hour after the collapse, those who came forward to assist were mostly residents of the area, " he noted.

'Have you seen him?': Frantic search for loved ones after Delhi building collapse.

Mishra remarked they additionally asked residents to move their vehicles parked around the building to create way for the rescue teams. "We removed the rubble with our own hands. The local police additionally arrived shortly after being informed, but the cranes took some time to reach the spot, " he noted. Afterwards, teams of Delhi Fire Services (DFS) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) arrived. Over six cranes were additionally pressed into service.

Rescue operations underway at the site of the incident in Satya Niketan, Sunday. (Express pphoto by Abhinav Saha) Another resident of the area remarked he heard a loud sound too, adding that he initially thought a transformer had probably exploded. When he stepped out, he identified dust had covered the entire lane, nevertheless.

To search for survivors beneath the debris, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) applied life detectors and trained search dogs. According to authorities, once "signs of life were detected", rescuers applied diamond chain saws, hydraulic jacks, combi cutters and plasma cutters to carefully clear the rubble and create access routes.

Trapped students dial Delhi University teachers after hostel collapse, colleges join rescue ops.

Meanwhile, a student who was pulled out of the debris. (PTI) The biggest challenge, authorities stated, was locating survivors trapped beneath the debris. They continued that inputs from residents of the area, even so, supported rescuers.

According to authorities, a person was rescued in an unconscious state in regarding 15 minutes, while two others were safely pulled out in around 30 minutes. While ten individuals were rescued, five others were declared dead. © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd.

For now, loud sound, cloud of dust: Students, locals form human chain; first responders remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.