New Delhi: The owner of the building that collapsed in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan area has been apprehended in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, officials said on Monday.
The owner, identified as Hariram Gupta, was taken into custody as authorities continued examining the circumstances that led to the collapse.
The death toll in the incident has risen to seven, while rescue teams continued their search for possible survivors beneath the debris of the multi-storey building, according to reports.
The decades-old structure, which housed a boys’ paying guest accommodation near Delhi University’s South Campus, collapsed at around 1.30 pm on Sunday while repair work was underway.
Rescue teams have so far pulled 12 people out of the debris. However, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Inspector General Narendra Bundela said there was no specific estimate of how many people could still be trapped.
The NDRF, along with agencies from the Delhi government, continued the operation into Monday. Bundela said the rescue effort was expected to continue until late Monday.
The scale of the tragedy was also reflected in the medical response. AIIMS said 11 patients were brought to the JPN Apex Trauma Centre following the collapse.
Five of them were brought dead, while another patient who was initially in critical condition later died from injuries. Three patients remain admitted and are receiving treatment, while one underwent limb surgery. Another person with a minor injury was discharged after observation.
Several agencies, including the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, NDRF and Delhi Disaster Management Authority, have been involved in the rescue operation since Sunday afternoon.
Police have registered a case against Gupta and others in connection with the incident. A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered to examine the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
With the building owner now in custody and the rescue operation still underway, authorities are continuing to assess the site and determine whether anyone remains trapped beneath the rubble.
