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India news: Rescue efforts underway in deadly Delhi building collapse
India news: Several dead in Delhi building collapse
Seerat Chabba with AFP, Reuters and Indian media sourcesPublished 09/07/2026Published September 7, 2026last updated 09/07/2026last updated September 7, 2026The building was located in New Delhi's Satya Niketan, popular among students from nearby colleges and universities. At least 12 people have been rescued from the rubble.
https://p.dw.com/p/5LzfDWhat you need to know
- At least seven people have died after a building collapsed in Delhi
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The building was located in South Delhi's Satya Niketan, popular among Delhi University students
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Rescue operations are underway
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India and Pakistan are exchanging barbs after UN map vote
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Amritsar airport was closed briefly after drones were spotted at the border airport
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Below is a roundup of the top headlines from India on Monday, September 7.
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Skip next section Thank you for reading 09/07/2026September 7, 2026Thank you for reading
Thank you for reading our India blog.
We'll be back with a fresh blog on Tuesday. See you then!
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https://p.dw.com/p/5M5cvSkip next section India, Pakistan trade barbs over Kashmir claims after UN map vote09/07/2026September 7, 2026India, Pakistan trade barbs over Kashmir claims after UN map vote
Wesley Dockery EditorPakistan's Foreign Office on Monday rejected India's position on Kashmir's status, after New Delhi invoked the disputed territory while commenting on a newly adopted UN resolution on map projections.
The dispute comes after Friday's UN General Assembly vote backed "Correct the Map," an African-led resolution promoting more accurate cartographic representations that shrink Europe and North America while enlarging Africa.
India was among 164 countries voting in favor.
Later, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India's support did not endorse any specific map or boundary depiction, adding that India's "sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be depicted in accordance with India's official map," calling deviations "unacceptable."
Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full but rule it in part, creating a decadeslong flashpoint between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan responded Monday, saying Pakistan "categorically rejects India's baseless assertions" on Kashmir, according to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper.
He said India's "illegal occupation cannot alter the internationally recognized disputed status" of the territory, calling it one of the UN Security Council's oldest unresolved disputes requiring resolution through "a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices."
The US, the sole nation to vote against the UN resolution, separately criticized the map, saying such moves are "the reason this institution is losing its credibility."
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https://p.dw.com/p/5M5MlSkip next section India's food warning labels challenged in court09/07/2026September 7, 2026India's food warning labels challenged in court
Indian health activists have filed the first formal court objection to the government's proposed food warning labels, calling the plan an "industry-friendly loophole" that lets many unhealthy products avoid scrutiny.
The Indian government has proposed that a red hexagonal label be added if a food exceeds limits in at least two of three concerning nutrients: added sugar, salt or saturated fat.
Nonprofit group 3S And Our Health told the Supreme Court the proposal would let high-risk items slip through, as a product high in just one nutrient would not be flagged, the filing, as accessed by Reuters new agency, said.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also drawn criticism over exemptions for foods like honey and jaggery.
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Health activists have been pushing for front-of-pack warning labels for years, but it remains unclear how effective they will be in their current form.
"After years of advocacy, and after the Supreme Court pushed the issue, FSSAI has accepted a front-of-pack warning. That fight is won. The next fight is not whether there will be a label, but whether the label will tell the truth," Dr Arun Gupta, paediatrician and Convenor, Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) told Firstpost.
The Indian government intends to make rules stricter by having warning labels for each concerning nutrient in the second phase of the plan, a source told The Telegraph newspaper.
According to a study published in The Lancet journal, India had 180 million adults who were overweight or obese in 2021. The number is projected to rise to 450 million by 2050.
The case will be heard on September 10.
https://p.dw.com/p/5M513Skip next section Drone scare at Amritsar airport prompts flight diversions: reports09/07/2026September 7, 2026Drone scare at Amritsar airport prompts flight diversions: reports
Multiple suspected drones were spotted around the operational area of Amritsar's international airport Sunday night, Indian news agency ANI reported, prompting authorities to divert seven flights.
Airport Director Anirudh Kumar said the Air Traffic Control (ATC) unit received information from the Indian Air Force at around 9.45 pm local time regarding suspected drone activity over the airfield. This prompted all flight operations to be suspended for 90 minutes.
"Two of the flights were diverted to Chandigarh and five of them were diverted to Delhi," a Delhi airport official told the Hindustan Times.
Malaysia Airlines, Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo flights were among those diverted, local news agencies reported.
Amritsar's Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport is located about 30 kilometers (~18 miles) from India's border with Pakistan.
Reports suggested that the drones may have been flown locally, but the sensitive nature of the airport’s location prompted swift security action from all agencies involved.
Amritsar police told the Indian Express that the drones were flown during a sports tournament in a nearby village.
"These drones originated from the video recording of a sports tournament. Drones were used for this purpose without permission. It is not allowed to fly drones in 8 kilometres radius of the airport. We will take legal action in this matter," said Raja Sansi Station House Officer Gurpreet Singh.
https://p.dw.com/p/5M4dGSkip next section At least 7 people killed as rescue efforts continue 09/07/2026September 7, 2026At least 7 people killed as rescue efforts continue
The death toll has risen to seven after rescue personnel recovered another body amid the rubble of a five-story building in India's capital city Monday, a day after the nearly 50-year-old structure came crashing down.
The building was located in Satya Niketan, a popular student hub that houses hundreds of university students often living in crowded conditions. It is situated in close proximity to Delhi University's South Campus, making it a popular destination for students.
Local media reported that the building housed a private hostel.
In its latest update, Delhi Police said a total of 12 people had been rescued during the operation. Emergency crews say more people may be trapped in the rubble.
Rescue teams, including personnel from disaster agencies as well as fire and police teams, were using heavy machinery and sniffer dogs to locate those trapped.
Earlier, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which is treating victims of the collapse, said its trauma center received 10 people: "Out of the 10 patients, five were brought dead, while one patient who was in critical condition later succumbed to his injuries."
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta addressed the potential cause of the collapse, saying: "It is certain that there was water in the building's basement, and due to accumulation of water, due to ongoing repair work, the old building collapsed."
The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Sections 105, 290 and 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (the official criminal code of India) against the building owners, local media reported. The specific sections relate to culpable homicide, negligence in the construction or repair of buildings as well as acts that endanger human life.
https://p.dw.com/p/5M0ouSkip next section Welcome to our coverage09/07/2026September 7, 2026Welcome to our coverage
Elizabeth Schumacher EditorHello! This is Seerat from DW's Studio Delhi, bringing you the latest from across India.
We are back, reporting on the building collapse in an area frequented by Delhi University students, including me (albeit over 10 years ago).
Rescue operations are underway, putting the lack of infrastructure, which forces students to opt for private housing options amid a severe lack of college hostels, into the spotlight.
For this and more, follow our live blog.
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