Satya Niketan building collapse: Students allege death toll ‘misreported’, leave area amid demolition drive
Around 150 students begin indefinite protest demanding release of complete casualty data; hundreds vacate PGs and leave Satya Niketan with their belongings as authorities move against unsafe and illegal structures.
A day after the Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Police concluded search and rescue operations at the site of the Satya Niketan PG collapse , over 150 Delhi University students began an indefinite protest on Tuesday (September 8, 2026), claiming that several students were still unaccounted for and demanding that the government release complete data on the incident.
The students alleged that the authorities were underreporting the number of deaths in the collapse, which killed seven people and injured five others.
“There are at least three to four students who are currently unaccounted for. There could be more. Their parents visited AIIMS and Safdarjung hospitals and did not find their children there. We are trying to get the whereabouts of these students,” said Unnayan, an AISA representative.
“There is a basement which has not been evacuated yet. There might still be labourers inside,” he alleged.
Police cordon off the site near of the Satya Niketan PG building collapse following a demolition order by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), in New Delhi on September 8, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
The students also claimed that the families and friends of some victims were being allowed into the AIIMS Trauma Centre, adding to the confusion and distress surrounding the incident.
Their demands include ₹1 crore compensation for each victim’s family, safety audits of all PG accommodations, action including jail against those responsible for violations, and hostel facilities for students.
Students carry their belongings as they vacate their PGs adjacent to the Satya Niketan PG building, which collapsed on September 6, 2026, near Delhi University’s South Campus.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Meanwhile, the lanes of Satya Niketan, usually crowded with students, were dotted with suitcases, large bags and other belongings as hundreds of students began vacating PG accommodations following directions to remove occupants from unsafe buildings.
Several students said those living in PG buildings with four or more floors were being asked to vacate first as such structures were expected to face demolition as part of the action against illegal constructions.
At several PGs, students who were away when the collapse occurred had friends or relatives arrive to collect their belongings.
“My niece got admission to Maitreyi College a month ago, and she shifted to a PG here. Her parents are in Guwahati and they could not come here so quickly from such a distance. I got a call from them and that is why we came to take her and her things back,” a relative said.
New Delhi: A student carries her belongings as she vacates her PG adjacent to the Satya Niketan PG building which collapsed near Delhi University's South Campus, following a demolition order by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), in New Delhi, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (PTI Photo/Rushikesh More) (PTI09_08_2026_000326A)
| Photo Credit:
Rushikesh More
Some students alleged that even after vacating their accommodations, they had not received their security deposits or refunds for outstanding rent.
The exodus has added to the uncertainty among students living in the densely packed neighbourhood, where a large number of PG accommodations cater to students from Delhi University’s South Campus. For many, the immediate concern is finding a safe place to stay even as questions remain over the structural safety of other buildings in the area.