Delhi building collapse LIVE: Death toll rises to six as rescue efforts continue - The Hindu

**Delhi building collapse claims six lives as rescue teams continue their search** *Satya Niketan, New Delhi –* A four‑storey residential building in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday, killing six people and injuring several others. CCTV footage released by the Delhi Police shows the structure giving way almost instantly after a loud cracking sound, sending debris onto the street below. The building, which housed about 20 families, had been the subject of earlier complaints about cracks in its walls, but no formal inspection had been ordered until after the tragedy.

Rescue operations, coordinated by the Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local police, have so far pulled 11 occupants out of the rubble. Teams worked through the night, employing hydraulic cutters and high‑powered search dogs to locate survivors amid the twisted concrete. The death toll, initially reported as four, rose to six as medical teams confirmed the demise of two more victims who succumbed to injuries while being treated at Safdarjung Hospital. Officials have set up a temporary relief camp for displaced families and are distributing food packets and emergency kits.

A preliminary inquiry by the Delhi Building Department suggests that the collapse may be linked to an unauthorized alteration of the building’s load‑bearing walls, a violation that rendered the structure “unstable” according to an NDTV report. In response, the Delhi government announced that structural audits will become compulsory for all public and private buildings exceeding ten metres in height, a measure echoed in a recent Rediff article on the new safety mandate. The investigation remains ongoing, and the police have launched a case of culpable homicide to determine accountability.