The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has suspended five officials of its South Zone with immediate effect, according to office orders dated September 7, 2026, following the building collapse at Delhi’s
Satya Niketan area.
The action comes as rescue teams continue operations at the collapse site and the number of casualties has risen. The suspended officials include senior civic functionaries from the South Zone as well as officials responsible for building-related matters.
LIVE Updates On Delhi Building Collapse
According to the MCD office orders, the five suspended officials are:
- Rakesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, South Zone
- Ranvir Singh, SE, South Zone
- Lalit Kumar Goel, EE (Building), South Zone
- Sunil Chauhan, AE (Building), South Zone
- Ashish Kumar, Junior Engineer (Building)
The suspension orders were issued with immediate effect.
The action covers officials across the South Zone’s administrative and engineering hierarchy, including officials specifically associated with the Building department.
Rescue Operation Continues
The MCD action comes as emergency teams continue to search through the debris of the collapsed building at Satya Niketan.
According to news agency ANI, Delhi Police said a total of 12 people had been rescued from the site, while seven people had died.
One more person was recovered from the debris in the latest phase of the operation, taking the total number of people rescued to 12.
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Inspector General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Narendra Singh Bundela said six of those retrieved were subsequently declared dead, while five were admitted to hospitals.
He said one body was yet to be extricated and that NDRF and Fire Service teams were working to bring the person out.
Bundela said the person was likely unconscious.
Two NDRF tactical teams were working at the site along with the Fire Service, Bundela said.
He said the state machinery was activated soon after the collapse and that the state government was taking the matter seriously. The Chief Minister had visited the site the previous day and issued directions, he added.
The NDRF official said it was difficult to specify how long the rescue operation would take because debris was still present at the site. He expected the operation to continue throughout the day.
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Rescue teams were also using canines to search the debris.
No Specific Figure Of Those Still Trapped
The NDRF did not have a specific figure on how many people could still be trapped under the debris, Bundela said.
“So far, 12 people have been evacuated. I am not able to comment on how many people are still trapped inside. We don’t have any specific figure of trapped people,” he said.
He said rescue teams were continuing their efforts to locate and extricate anyone who could still be beneath the debris.
Bundela also addressed the response time of the NDRF, saying the force follows a protocol under which teams are required to deploy from their base within 20 minutes of receiving a call.
He said the NDRF has identified locations across India where teams remain on standby 24/7 on a rotational basis. This arrangement, he said, allows the force to respond immediately to calls.
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