‘All we could hear were screams’: Witnesses recall building collapse horror in Delhi's Saidulajab

PAnic and dread gripped Delhi's Saidulajab country on sat dark after a four-storey edifice housing a mess and paying guest accommodation collapsed near Saket Metro Station on, leaving a 26-year-old man dead and at least eight others injured.A multi-agency rescue operation continued through the night and is still going on. Rescue teams managed to bring nine people out of the debris, while officials continued searching amid concerns that more people could still be buried under the rubble.Amid confusion and anxiety, several people remained near the site for information about friends and relatives believed to be trapped inside.What witnesses said on building collapseWitnesses recalled the horror of the building collapse said they could hear voices and cries coming from beneath the collapsed structure. "All we could hear were screams coming from under the rubble. There was a huge cloud of dust. When it settled, we realised that part of an adjoining structure had also been affected," a local resident told news agency PTI.The structure, which reportedly housed a coaching institute, cafes, and offices, collapsed on Western Marg in Saidulajab, near Saket Metro Station. Construction work was reportedly underway on the third floor at the time.A relative of one of the people trapped after the collapse criticised the lack of a proper response from the authorities involved in the rescue effort.The woman, who was waiting for news about her mother, told news agency ANI, “The police are here, we are asking about our family members? There is no response. Local people were handling the situation better than the police. They rescued three people, but the police only rescued two people... No one has the answer to my questions. What is the meaning of freedom of speech? "If leaders come, then only they do something. This building was being constructed at a risk, and we also complained. I want to see my mother, but they are not allowing me to go outside.”Several students who regularly visited the mess or attended classes at the coaching institute stood anxiously at the entrance to the lane, watching ambulances leave the area and hoping for news about those inside.23-year-old Gaurav Kumar, who lives in a nearby PG accommodation, told HT, “My friend and I study at a nearby coaching centre, and we eat at the mess sometimes. I got to know around 8 pm that the adjoining building had collapsed. I have been calling him for hours and he has not been picking up, even though the call is going through, so I am really worried that he is trapped inside.”People living nearby said the premises were regularly visited by students and office-goers. Some residents estimated that between 100 and 150 people might be trapped beneath the debris.Ravindra Singh, a local resident, told PTI, “Around 100 to 150 people may be trapped under the collapsed building. Several cafes, coaching centres and corporate offices were operating from the premises. The building was relatively new and probably constructed around four or five years ago.”What officials said on building collapseRescue personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services (DFS), Delhi Police, Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Civil Defence and the CATS Ambulance Service continued clearance and search operations throughout the night.Officials from Delhi Fire Services said nine people had been rescued from the debris by around 3.45 am on Sunday. Eight were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment, while another person, identified as Ravi, was declared dead on arrival. Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta said the administration was keeping a close watch on the situation and had deployed all available resources for the rescue mission.She said every effort was being made to save those trapped and provide immediate support to affected families. “All concerned agencies are coordinating their efforts, ensuring that the safety and well-being of every citizen remain the highest priority,” she said.Police said search and rescue work would continue until every trapped person had been located. The exact reason behind the collapse has not yet been determined.With inputs from agencies