The deadly building collapse near Satya Niketan in Delhi’s RK Puram area has triggered a sharp political attack on the ruling government, with the Congress and its student wing, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), alleging a serious delay in emergency response and accusing the administration of failing students trapped under the rubble.
One person has died and several others have been rescued after a five-storey building, reportedly used as a boys’ paying guest accommodation, collapsed on Sunday afternoon. Rescue operations involving the National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, Delhi Disaster Management Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Civil Defence and medical teams are continuing at the site.
The exact number of people still trapped has not been officially confirmed. However, eyewitnesses have said that several students may have been inside the building when it came down.
Vinod Jakhar Questions Rescue Delay
Congress leader Vinod Jakhar strongly criticised the government and the Delhi administration, questioning why emergency teams allegedly did not reach the site immediately after the collapse.
“When students’ lives needed to be saved, where were the government and the administration?” Jakhar said, alleging that Delhi Police and administrative relief teams reached the spot nearly two hours after the incident.
He asked who should be held responsible for what he described as a grave failure in handling a major emergency.
Jakhar claimed that once NSUI workers received information about the collapse, the entire team rushed to the site. He alleged that students were found trapped under the debris, including an NSUI worker.
“Neither the fire brigade, nor police, nor medical facilities, nor JCB machines were present when we reached there,” he alleged.
According to Jakhar, NSUI volunteers began attempting to rescue students with their own hands before formal relief arrangements were fully mobilised. He claimed that the student wing managed to pull out three children from the debris.
‘Books in Their Hands, Rubble Around Them’
The Congress leader described the scene as emotionally devastating and alleged that several students had lost their lives in the tragedy.
He said that during the rescue effort, volunteers found a book in the hand of one child trapped beneath the rubble.
“The hand that should have been holding a book was found buried under the debris. This is not merely an accident. It is painful proof of the government’s negligence and the collapse of the entire system,” Jakhar said.
The Congress said the incident raised serious questions about building-safety checks, the monitoring of paying guest accommodations and the preparedness of emergency services in areas occupied by students.
The party alleged that the government failed on two fronts: preventing unsafe structures from operating and ensuring a swift emergency response after the collapse.
Congress Demands Accountability
The Congress has demanded a detailed and time-bound investigation into the collapse, including examination of the building’s structural safety, construction approvals, possible renovation activity, basement work and the role of civic authorities.
The party has also sought accountability for the alleged delay in mobilising fire services, police teams, medical assistance and heavy equipment required to remove the rubble.
Congress leaders said the government cannot escape responsibility by treating the tragedy as an isolated accident. They argued that student safety must be a priority, especially in localities such as Satya Niketan, where a large number of young people live in private hostels and paying guest accommodations.
The party alleged that students and their families had been left vulnerable because of weak oversight of residential buildings used for student housing.
Rescue Operation Continues
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has said that all agencies are working together and that the safety and well-being of citizens remain the government’s top priority. Authorities have evacuated a nearby building as a precaution and deployed multiple teams for search, rescue and medical support.
Rescue personnel are continuing to remove concrete slabs, twisted metal and debris carefully, amid concerns that people may still be trapped in pockets beneath the collapsed structure.
While the exact cause of the collapse is yet to be established, investigators are expected to examine the condition of the building, possible structural weaknesses, renovation work and compliance with civic safety norms.
For the Congress, however, the central question remains whether timely intervention could have reduced the human cost of the tragedy. The party has demanded that responsibility be fixed and strict action taken against every official or agency found negligent.
