Doctors' body seeks fire safety, structural audits in Delhi PG accomodations after fatal building collapse

New Delhi: Following the tragic collapse of a five-storey building in South Delhi's Saidulajab area that reportedly claimed the lives of four doctors and injured 25 doctors, medicos preparing for FMGE and NEET PG examinations, a doctors' body has urged the Delhi Government to introduce strict safety regulations for student-paying guest accommodations across the national capital.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, on June 2, 2026, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) expressed deep grief over the incident and highlighted the unsafe living conditions of thousands of medical students and aspirants preparing for NEET-PG, INI-CET, and FMG examinations.

The association stated that the capital houses lakhs of outstation medical students, NEET-PG, INI-CET, and FMG Examination aspirants in densely packed, poorly regulated PG accommodations in areas like Gautam Nagar, Saidulajab, Mukherjee Nagar, and Rajendra Nagar.

Calling the situation "deeply alarming," FORDA stated that students are often forced to live in structurally unsafe buildings with no fire safety infrastructure; no extinguishers, no emergency exits, no evacuation plans.

The association said that the students and aspirants are frequently exploited by PG owners through excessive charges and coercive terms, with little legal recourse available to them as outstation residents.

"The complete absence of regulatory oversight over these accommodations has created a silent crisis waiting to erupt, and the Saket tragedy has confirmed our worst fears," the association said in the letter.

To address the issue, FORDA urged the Delhi Government to undertake an immediate structural audit of buildings in student-dense localities, mandatory fire safety measures: extinguishers, alarms, emergency exits in all PG accommodations and coaching buildings, compulsory registration of PG facilities with annual safety inspections, strict action against illegal construction on occupied student buildings and a student grievance helpline for reporting unsafe conditions and exploitation.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, FORDA, General Secretary, Dr Meet Ghonia said, "The Saket tragedy is a wake up call for all of us. Thousands of medical and other students live in PG accommodations that often lack basic structural and fire safety standards. FORDA has urged the Delhi Government to conduct immediate safety audits and implement strict regulations for student housing. Student safety cannot be compromised, and urgent action is needed to prevent another such loss of young lives."

The incident occurred on Saturday evening in Saidulajab near Saket Metro Station, where a five-storey commercial building suddenly collapsed in a "pancake collapse," with the upper floors crashing onto the lower levels. The collapse also affected a nearby canteen that was frequented by medical and engineering students living in the area.

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