Mehrauli building collapse: Delhi Police seeks help from IIT-D to determine cause

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jun 22, 2026 03:02 PM IST

The structure was originally a four-storey building, but the owner and builders were in the process of constructing two additional floors. (Source: Express Photo)

Delhi Police has approached IIT-Delhi for help in conducting a study to ascertain the exact cause of the collapse of a five-storey building in Saidulajab near Saket Metro station in South Delhi’s Mehrauli that left six people dead and eight others injured, The Indian Express has learnt.

The incident took place on May 30 evening. The structure was originally a four-storey building, but the owner and builders were in the process of constructing two additional floors. One extra floor had already been completed when the building collapsed.

The building housed offices of private companies and a call centre. While the ground, first and third floors were occupied and operational, the second floor had remained vacant for the past few months.

According to sources, the additional floors are suspected to have contributed to the collapse. However, the police are seeking a detailed structural assessment, including 3D mapping and technical studies, to determine the precise cause.

“Delhi Police approached IIT Delhi earlier this month, and a team of engineers visited the site. A second visit is expected soon, after which the team may submit its report,” a source said.

The study is expected to help investigators determine the exact reason behind the collapse through an expert assessment of the building’s structural integrity, the source added.

According to the police, the investigation so far has revealed that the building was constructed around eight years ago and that its basement was not structurally capable of bearing the additional load of two more floors.

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“One extra floor had already been constructed, while work on another was underway. However, construction had reportedly been halted for several days because of a payment dispute between the builder and the contractor,” the source also said.

A few days before the collapse, excavation work was carried out in the basement to install a water tank. Police suspect that this may have further weakened the structure.

Police have already arrested the building owner and two builders involved in the construction of the additional floors.

Five medical and engineering graduates, who were preparing for competitive examinations, and a woman, who ran a makeshift eatery next to the building, died in the collapse.

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The students were at the eatery when the incident happened. A part of the structure fell onto the eatery, burying them under the debris.