Delhi building collapse kills at least seven, rescue ongoing
A five-storey building collapse in Delhi has killed at least seven, with dozens possibly trapped and rescue efforts continuing.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
At least seven people have died after a five-storey building collapsed in a congested area of Delhi on Sunday afternoon. Rescue workers are still digging through the rubble, and officials say the number of people trapped could be as high as 50.
The building was used as a private hostel for students, and witnesses have reported that some trapped students made phone calls from underneath the debris. One official at the scene confirmed that calls had been received from students still buried.
Rescue teams have been using electric saws to cut through metal and an excavator to remove debris. Ambulances are standing by in a lane cleared for bringing out survivors. The operation is being hampered by the narrow, tightly packed streets of the locality, which is popular with college students because it offers relatively cheap accommodation.
Police have registered a case against the owner of the building, which was about 40 to 50 years old. There was construction work taking place in the basement at the time of the collapse, and investigators are looking into possible irregularities.
The incident has prompted student groups to demand accountability, and given the recent history of anti-government student protests in India, political leaders are likely to be cautious about letting this become a larger political issue. The exact number of people still missing remains unclear, and rescue efforts are continuing.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News |
|---|---|
| At least seven people were killed in the building collapse. | |
| The collapsed building was used as a private hostel for students. | |
| The number of people trapped in the collapse was reported to be as high as 50. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News focused on the rescue operation, the condition of the building, and the student angle. It highlighted the uncertainty over the number trapped, the phone calls from students, and the political sensitivity of the incident in the context of recent student protests. The report also stressed the difficulty of rescue work in the congested locality.
- “At least seven people have died after a building collapsed in Delhi.”
- “What is not clear is how many people are actually still trapped. But what we're hearing from witnesses is that it may be as high as 50.”
- “The building was used as a private hostel for students as well.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.