Of the seven colleges around the South Campus, Shri Venkateswara College, Jesus and Mary College, Maitri College, ARSD College, Ram Lal Anand College, Motilal Nehru College and Aryabhatta College, only two have hostel facilities. Shri Venkateswara College has around 175 hostel seats, while Maitri College has just 27, leaving many students to rely on private paying guest (PG) accommodations in the neighbourhood.

Most of the colony’s original residents have moved away, giving way to matchbox-sized apartments converted into PG accommodations, not all of which comply with civic regulations. In the aftermath of the building collapse, civic authorities removed PG signboards across the neighbourhood as part of an enforcement drive.

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A “sudden tremor” sent residents of nearby buildings rushing out of their homes only to see the horror of a pile of rubble in place of the PG accommodation bustling with students in south-west Delhi’s Satya Niketan.

Many scrambled to remove the debris with bare hands and whatever tools they could get after the collapse of the five-storey building, Hostel Daze, in the congested colony lined with private student hostels, eateries and shops near the heart of Delhi University’s South Campus.

A local Rajen Chhetri, who works with the Delhi Police, said the building had around 15 rooms, with two to three students sharing each, and repair or construction work was underway in the basement.

PTI