New Delhi, Sep 8: The survivors of the Delhi building collapse are struggling to come to terms with the tragedy around them - friends who are no more, some fighting for their lives and others living with the agony of losing the people they lived with.
On Sunday afternoon, the decades-old building housing a boys' paying guest accommodation in Satya Niketan near Dehi University South Campus collapsed, killing seven people and leaving several others injured.
Among those rescued was 19-year-old Neeraj Bawa, a second-year Bachelor of Arts student of Motilal Nehru College, who remains admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital in critical condition. His lower body suffered severe injuries in the incident.
His friend and fellow survivor, 19-year-old Nitish Chib, a second-year Bachelor of Commerce student of the same college, is recovering from injuries and is expected to be discharged soon.
But Nitish does not know that Neeraj is still in the ICU. He also remains unaware that some of the people he lived alongside at the PG lost their lives in the collapse.
His mother, Seema Chib, says Nitish has been asking about his friend but they have decided not to tell him about the full extent of tragedy. At the time of the collapse, Neeraj and Nitish were in Nitish's room having lunch when they suddenly felt a jerk. Within moments, the building came crashing down, trapping the occupants under tons of debris.
"He (Nitish) is now fine and will be discharged soon, but I will wait for Neeraj to get better too. They are very good friends and he keeps asking me about Neeraj. However, we have not told him about the entire thing in detail. He is still recovering and the trauma might not be good for him," she told PTI.
"I pray that, like my son, everyone else also gets better very soon and that nothing like this ever happens to anyone," she said.
Ashok Kumar, Neeraj's elder cousin, said the family had also decided not to tell him about the deaths and the full extent of the tragedy until he recovers.
"He might not be able to take the trauma right now. His focus needs to be on getting better," Kumar said.
The over 27-hour rescue operation at the collapse site concluded on Monday evening. Police have arrested the building owner, 81-year-old Hariram, a retired Indian Air Force sergeant, his 75-year-old wife Urmila and their 52-year-old son Mahesh.
They have been booked under charges including culpable homicide, negligence in the upkeep of a structure and endangering the safety of others.
"Hariram and his son were allegedly running the PG, while Urmila was the owner of the property. Following the arrests, teams are questioning the three to ascertain the cause of the collapse and fix responsibility for the incident," a police officer said.
As investigations continue, those who survived are left to recover physically and emotionally, while their families grapple with the aftermath.
