Delhi Hostel Collapse: Owner Held in Rajasthan as Probe Widens

The owner of the five-storey hostel building that collapsed in Delhi's Satya Niketan area has been apprehended from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. The arrest comes as investigators piece together a chain of safety lapses that may have contributed to the structure's sudden failure.

Authorities are now examining multiple warning signs at the site, including visible structural cracks and the absence of adequate emergency exits. The focus of the inquiry is on what weakened the building over time and whether these red flags were ignored by those responsible for its maintenance.

CCTV footage of the incident shows the entire structure giving way within seconds, sending a massive cloud of dust into the air. In the immediate aftermath, local residents and students formed a human chain and began rescue efforts before emergency teams could arrive on the scene.

One survivor, a teenager from Bengal, narrowly escaped death by chance. She had left the building to visit a friend due to a lack of water supply at the hostel, moments before the collapse. Her account highlights how ordinary circumstances separated those who lived from those who were trapped inside the rubble.