Delhi building collapse death toll up to 7; HC orders citywide PG inspection, flags student housing woes - The Hindu

**Delhi building collapse death toll rises to seven; High Court mandates city‑wide PG inspection**

A five‑storey paying‑guest (PG) accommodation in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood of Delhi collapsed early on Saturday, leaving seven people dead and several others injured. Emergency crews worked through the night to extricate victims from the debris, finally calling off the rescue operation late Sunday after confirming the fatality count. The building, which housed a mix of students and working migrants, reportedly gave way after a sudden structural failure, prompting immediate questions about the integrity of similar aging structures across the capital.

In the wake of the tragedy, the Delhi High Court intervened, ordering a comprehensive, city‑wide inspection of all PG accommodations and other student hostels. The court also directed the state government to set up a high‑level inquiry to probe the causes of the collapse and to hold accountable those responsible for lax enforcement of building codes. Five senior officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Directorate of Town and Country Planning have been suspended pending the inquiry’s findings, underscoring the administration’s acknowledgement of systemic oversight failures.

The incident shines a harsh light on a growing housing crisis that has plagued Delhi’s student population for years. Rents for PG rooms and shared apartments have surged, while many of the structures that accommodate them are decades old and suffer from inadequate maintenance. Housing advocates have warned that overcrowding, delayed repairs, and insufficient regulatory scrutiny have created a tinderbox of risk, a warning now tragically confirmed by the Satya Niketan collapse. Authorities have pledged to accelerate the inspection drive and to formulate stricter safety standards, but critics argue that without swift enforcement, similar disasters could recur.