Panic, unease, demolition: A walk in collapsed Delhi hostel neighbourhood

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) started the removal of the water tank and tin roof of Building 13 on Tuesday night, marking the first demolition step after a nearby five‑storey hostel collapsed on Sunday, killing seven people, five of them Delhi University (DU) students. The demolition is being carried out under the direction of the Delhi government, which has identified a cluster of dilapidated buildings in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood for removal.

The collapse occurred on Sunday, resulting in seven fatalities. In response, the MCD issued evacuation orders for three additional buildings in the area, all of which house private hostels and paying‑guest accommodations for DU’s South Campus students. On Tuesday, municipal workers, assisted by the Delhi Fire Service, cleared the belongings of the evacuated occupants from Building 13, while the demolition proceeds slowly over the next few days due to the close proximity of the structures.

Satya Niketan, a densely populated student enclave, has seen its streets fall silent as shops close and residents move their possessions. A local grocery shop owner, whose godown was in Building 13, reported shutting his shop for a week and relocating stock after being jolted awake by the collapse. Students such as Tamanna and Atiksha, both from Motilal Nehru College, described feeling tremors, trauma, and a desire to leave the neighbourhood, while some hostel owners are attempting to persuade displaced tenants to shift into newly constructed buildings nearby.