New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday attacked the Modi government after a building housing a boys’ hostel collapsed in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan area, with party leader Rahul Gandhi asserting that every student’s life is precious and their protection must be ensured under all circumstances.

The five-storey building in a congested bylane in Satya Niketan near Delhi University’s South Campus collapsed this afternoon, leaving three students dead and many trapped under the debris, officials said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the building collapse is deeply distressing and “an avoidable tragedy”.

“Every effort must be made to rescue those trapped and ensure the best possible treatment for the injured,” Kharge said on X.

NSUI workers and Congress leaders are already on the ground, helping students, victims and their families in every possible way, the Congress chief said, adding that “we stand firmly with them in this difficult hour”.

“This tragedy also exposes the unsafe, overcrowded PGs students are forced to live in due to inadequate hostel facilities,” he said.

“Students come to Delhi to build their future, not risk their lives for a roof over their heads. Every student’s life is precious,” Kharge said.

Terming the incident as “extremely heartbreaking and alarming”, Rahul Gandhi said reports indicate that several people are trapped under the debris, including many students from Delhi University.

“My appeal is that NDRF, Delhi Fire Service, and all rescue teams reach every single student by making every possible effort, ensuring that the injured receive the best possible immediate treatment, so that no effort is spared in saving anyone,” he said in a post on X in Hindi, .

“In this hour of difficulty, we all stand with the victims and their families. Students’ lives were already filled with struggles, now the situation has turned life-threatening.

“Due to the lack of good hostels in colleges or universities, students are forced to live in PG accommodations, 40-40 at a time under one roof, in inhumane conditions. Every student’s life is precious, and their protection must be ensured under all circumstances,” the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the incident “shocking”.

“I pray for the well-being of all. May God keep everyone safe. I appeal to the administration to expedite relief and rescue operations so that help can reach every victim in time. NSUI and Congress colleagues are providing as much assistance as possible at the scene. Our condolences are with all the victims and their families,” she said.

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said he was shocked at the news of the building collapse endangering the lives of many students.

“…This is only the latest in a long list of accidents due to the negligence of the authorities,” he said.

“Under BJP rule, life has become too cheap, and the regime is clearly insensitive to the perilous conditions under which common citizens lead their everyday lives,” Venugopal said.

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said just a day ago, PM Modi was at Delhi University’s SRCC for a carefully staged spectacle, celebrating the university and speaking of its students and today, at Satya Niketan near South Campus, DU students are trapped under the rubble of an unsafe PG building.

“If the PM truly considers himself a DU student, perhaps he should ask why building safety audits failed the very students who need the Government’s protection most,” Singhvi said on X.

Congress treasurer Ajay Maken said he stands with the families who have lost someone.

“Just this year, on May 30, the building that collapsed in Saidulajab had students preparing for exams among those who died. Therefore, the Delhi Municipal Corporation must disclose how many of the buildings around both DU campuses running PG accommodations have undergone safety inspections, and what issues were found in which buildings. This list must be made public building by building,” Maken said in a post in Hindi on X.

A child who has left home to come study has the right to know whether the building in which he is sleeping will still be standing by morning or not, he said.

Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said it is both haunting and moving to see the book, ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’, recovered from the rubble at Satya Niketan, Delhi.

“It is a heartbreaking story of oppression, endurance, solidarity, love, sacrifice and hope. The novel follows the lives of women in Afghanistan. But its story belongs to the oppressed all over the world,” Khera said.

Perhaps most poignantly, it belongs to India’s youth – a generation “orphaned by a government that seems to care little for their dignity, safety or future”, he alleged.

“May this cruel chapter of indifference and neglect end soon,” he said.

Delhi Congress chief Devendra Yadav said the incident raises serious questions about the government’s policies.

“Young people come to Delhi from across the country with dreams of a bright future, but is no one responsible for their safety? Prime Minister ji, merely delivering speeches at DU won’t suffice; in the country’s capital, the lives and safety of our students must be the topmost priority,” he said.

NSUI chief Vinod Jakhar claimed that the administration arrived nearly two hours after the incident.

“As soon as we received the information, the NSUI team jumped into action to pull the students out from under the debris. While the students were struggling between life and death, both the preparedness and sensitivity of the Delhi administration were nowhere to be found,” he said.

How long will this tampering with the safety of innocent students continue, Jakhar asked.

Accountability must be fixed for the negligence of the Delhi administration, he said.

Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said he was deeply saddened by the tragic building collapse.

“My thoughts and prayers are with those affected and their families. I pray for the safety of those feared trapped and for their swift rescue. May every life be saved,” Shukla said on X.