‘Never imagined this could happen’: Anxiety grips students after Delhi building collapse

Calls for help from students trapped in rubble, panic in the area, colleges in the South Campus of Delhi University making temporary accommodation for affected students: these were among the scenes that emerged as a five-storey building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area on Sunday afternoon.

Satya Niketan is a hub of PG accommodation for students who are enrolled in colleges in DU's South Campus. The building which collapsed on Sunday was one such PG accommodation called ‘Hostel Daze’. Soon after the incident, university and college officials started getting distress calls from the trapped students.

DU's South Campus Director Professor Rajni Abbi told The Indian Express that some of the trapped students even made video calls. She said the calls being made from the site indicated that those trapped included construction workers as well as students.

Abbi said that as an emergency measure, South Campus colleges such as DU’s Maitreyi College and Jesus and Mary College, among others, offered to help the students asked to vacate their accommodations adjoining the collapsed building.

The arrangements came as several students living in the area faced uncertainty following the incident, with some buildings being vacated and power supply affected in parts of the neighbourhood. Certain adjoining women’s student hostels were closed as a precautionary measure, and Abbi said that students were provided support at the university's hostel and guest house facilities until they could make alternative arrangements.

At Maitreyi College, students displaced from PG accommodations around Satya Niketan began arriving with their belongings by Sunday evening. Ananya Shukla, a BA student from the college who coordinated with these efforts, said the college was preparing to accommodate around 20 students.

As of Sunday evening, she said that around 10 students had already arrived at the college. “Some students had arranged hotels themselves, while in at least one case a student's PG had been sealed and she had been left without her belongings, not even her footwear.

We have told such students to just report to college, and we will arrange everything here,” she said. A teacher at Motilal Nehru College, one of DU's largest colleges, said, "We have made arrangements for the displaced students in our college.

Their accommodation as well as food arrangements have also been taken care of." Aryabhatta College has also opened its gates to students seeking assistance, including temporary accommodation. Saniya Verma, a Masters student at the Delhi School of Economics who lives in a PG near Satya Niketan, said there has been no electricity in her accommodation since a power cut about 10 minutes after the incident.

“There are students in our building who feel stuck because they cannot charge their phones. Most are planning to leave for their relatives,” she said. She said that many students were at the PGs as it was Sunday. “I have been living here for the past three years and have always felt safe.

I never imagined something like this could happen here. Nothing like this has happened before, and this is quite concerning,” she added. Sophiya Mathew is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She joined the Delhi bureau in 2024, and has specialization in Integrated Multimedia Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai.

Professional Background Core Beats: Her reporting is primarily focused on the Environment and Education. Specialization: She has gained recognition for her ground-level reporting on the Yamuna floodplains and the socio-economic challenges faced by those living on its banks.

She also focuses on the disparities in Delhi's education system, ranging from elite private schools to government institutions and refugee education. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent work has been heavily centered on Delhi's severe winter pollution crisis and the government's regulatory responses: 1.

The Air Pollution Crisis "A tale of two cities: Delhi govt schools choke in bad air, private classrooms set up air filters" (Dec 20, 2025): A high-impact feature contrasting the "Clean Air Bubbles" in elite schools with the reality of government school students who are exposed to an equivalent of 17 cigarettes a day due to outdoor exposure.

"Delhi sees season's worst air day, second worst December AQI in nearly a decade" (Dec 15, 2025): An analytical report on the meteorological patterns trapping pollutants in the NCR. "Delhi bans non-BS VI vehicles from outside: Why curbing vehicular pollution is key" (Dec 17, 2025): Explaining the science behind targeting specific vehicle vintages to lower particulate matter.

2. Enforcement & Regulations "No fuel at pumps in Delhi without valid PUC certificate from December 18" (Dec 17, 2025): Breaking the news on the environment ministry's strict "No PUC, No Fuel" policy. 3. Education Policy "Law to regulate school fee in Delhi risks becoming procedural, say parents" (Dec 13, 2025): Investigating the loopholes in the new Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025.

"Monsoon Session: Private school fee regulation Bill cleared after four-hour debate" (Aug 9, 2025): Covering the legislative passage of the controversial fee hike regulation. Signature Style Sophiya is known for her observational depth.

Her reporting often includes vivid details from school corridors, hospital waitlists, or the banks of the Yamuna to illustrate how policy failures affect the city's most vulnerable residents. She is a frequent expert guest on the 3 Things podcast, where she explains the complexities of Delhi’s environmental laws.

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