A building collapse at Satya Niketan Market in South Campus has disrupted traffic movement on several key routes in the area, as rescue and relief operations continue at the site into a second day. The Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory on Monday urging commuters to avoid the affected stretches and use alternative routes while emergency teams work to clear debris and search for anyone who may still be trapped following Sunday's collapse. According to the advisory posted by Delhi Traffic Police on X, traffic movement has been affected on routes running from Safdarjung Hospital towards Dhaula Kuan, along with the Ring Road (RTR) and Benito Juarez Marg. "Following a building collapse at Satya Niketan Market, South Campus, rescue and relief operations are underway.

Emergency teams are working at the spot," the post read, advising commuters to avoid these stretches if possible and follow the directions of traffic personnel stationed along the affected corridors. The advisory further urged the public not to stop, park vehicles, or gather near the incident site, stressing that clear access must be maintained for ambulances and rescue vehicles moving in and out of the congested area. "Your cooperation can help save lives," the traffic police added in their statement, underlining the urgency of keeping roads clear as search efforts continue. The traffic disruptions come as rescue efforts entered their second day following Sunday afternoon's collapse, which has claimed six lives after another body was recovered during late-night operations overnight.

Twelve people have been rescued so far, while teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police and other agencies continue working through the debris to determine whether additional individuals remain trapped at the site. Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who visited the site on Monday to review the rescue operation, said the possibility of another person being trapped under the rubble could not yet be ruled out. He added that the operation was being complicated by the condition of an adjacent structure — also a pillar-less building estimated to be between 40 and 50 years old — which authorities fear could pose additional risk during the ongoing debris removal process, given the structural instability of the surrounding buildings.

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Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also inspected the site on Monday to take stock of the rescue operation firsthand, with Sirsa telling reporters that "accountability will be fixed" and reiterating the chief minister's earlier statement that "heads will roll" for those found responsible for the collapse. "The Chief Minister made it abundantly clear yesterday itself: heads will roll for sure. No one will be spared," Sirsa said, signaling that the government intends to pursue action against those found negligent once the rescue operation concludes and investigators are able to determine the precise cause of the failure. Separately, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) issued a demolition order under Section 348 of the DMC Act for House No. 13 in Satya Niketan, the adjacent structure identified as dangerous, formally declaring the property unsafe and ordering its removal once conditions allow.

Officials cited by local media said preliminary information suggested that renovation or excavation work being carried out in the basement of the affected building may have triggered the collapse, a pattern that echoes previous structural failures reported in the same Satya Niketan neighborhood over the years. One official noted that there remains a possibility that laborers could still be present in the building's basement, given that renovation work had reportedly been underway there prior to the collapse, though this has not been officially confirmed. Officials also stressed that the NDRF, despite the operational challenges posed by the unstable adjacent structure, remains a highly capable force working methodically to ensure no further damage occurs while debris is cleared from underneath and around the collapse site.

As the search and rescue operation continues into its second day, authorities have asked the public to cooperate fully with the ongoing traffic restrictions in the area, noting that keeping the surrounding roads clear remains critical to supporting the emergency response. With commuters facing delays and congestion along the affected stretches, officials have advised residents and daily travelers passing through the South Campus area to plan alternate routes for the time being until normal traffic flow can be restored once the rescue and subsequent demolition operations are complete.

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