Delhi Orders Sealing of Illegal Buildings Over Four Floors After Fatal Collapse
MCD orders immediate sealing of illegal buildings above four floors after a fatal Satya Niketan collapse killed five students.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has ordered the immediate sealing of all illegal constructions exceeding four floors in the capital, following the collapse of a five-storey building in south Delhi's Satya Niketan that killed at least five students on Sunday.
Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi said on X that those responsible for the incident will not be spared. He added that officials found guilty of permitting such illegal structures will face strict action, including immediate dismissal.
The nearly 30-year-old building, spread over roughly 55 square yards in a resettlement colony, was illegal, a senior MCD official confirmed. While the area's norms permitted only ground-plus-one structures, the building had been raised to ground-plus-four, violating Floor Area Ratio regulations.
A senior civic official said the structure lacked a sanctioned building plan and that the basement construction was unauthorised. Permission for basement modifications in a standing structure is inherently hazardous and cannot be granted, the official noted, calling the incident a failure of field staff to detect the activity.
Locals believe the collapse was triggered by water accumulation in the basement after recent rains, along with ongoing repair work that may have weakened the structure. However, MCD Deputy Commissioner (South) Rakesh Kumar said it is impossible to verify whether repair work was underway until the debris is fully cleared.
Following the collapse, the MCD inspected an adjacent building housing a girls' PG and found it dilapidated. Authorities evacuated the building, relocated tenants to a community hall, and sealed the structure ahead of demolition. Sealing operations in the area are ongoing.
Rescue operations involving the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) continue. The NDRF has deployed two teams of around 70 personnel and a canine squad. Oxygen cylinders have been dropped beneath the rubble to assist anyone trapped. The MCD has mobilised 30-40 personnel, two hydra machines, four JCBs, and pickup trucks to the site.