Dozens feared trapped in collapsed building in Delhi

Eyewitnesses told local media that as many as 50 people were inside the five-storey building in the Satya Niketan neighbourhood of south-west Delhi when it came down around 13:30 local time (08:00 GMT) on Sunday. At least three people were killed and three others.

At least eight people were said to have been rescued so far, according to reports. There had been construction work going on in the basement of the building, Hostel Daze, which sits a short distance from the Delhi University campus.

What Happened

Many of the students staying there were thought to be in their rooms at the time of the collapse as there were no lessons on Sunday. A legislative assembly member said at the scene that some of the trapped students had been.

• Eleven people, including three children, were reportedly killed last April when a residential building collapsed in north-eastern Delhi.

• Poor foundations, inadequate materials and unqualified construction workers were among the common reasons for collapses.

• Building collapses are relatively common in Delhi, with more than a thousand recorded in the past three years causing dozens of deaths, according to fire department figures.

Key Details

Eyewitnesses told local media that another building beside the hostel had also collapsed. One told news agency ANI that the other building had also been a hostel.

• Satya Niketan is a densely populated area which houses a large student population, with a number of hostels in the neighbourhood.

• Police are searching for the owner of the building, Times of India reports.

• The National Students' Union of India called on the government to investigate the cause of the collapse and hold anyone found responsible to account.

Why It Matters

Chief Minister of Delhi Rekha Gupta said an adjacent building had been evacuated "as a precautionary measure".

• The owner of a nearby shop told ANI that it had been under a 100-year lease and that the leaseholder had undertaken excavation work in the basement to expand the hostel and increase their.

• Delhi Police said the building had only been 40 or 50 years old.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by BBC as more details emerge