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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nNew Delhi\u201cIt felt like a blast. Smoke and dust engulfed the area. Only later did we realise that several people were trapped under the rubble,\u201d said a witness, as police officers, firefighters and disaster management personnel rushed about, trying to find a rescue people trapped under a building that collapsed in Saidulajab, near the Saket metro station.Witnesses said the under-construction building housed several offices where 200 to 300 people worked. They said it came crashing down without warning after rain lashed the city on Saturday. A witness who works at a nearby food mess said the four-storey building housed a coaching centre, a library, a canteen and corporate offices. As rescue operations gathered space, the area was cordoned off.Tara Devi (40), stood close to the yellow and red police tape that prevented entry. \u201cI received a call from a friend informing me about the collapse. When I reached the spot, I could hear students screaming from under the debris. My daughter-in-law\u2019s mother, who worked at the canteen, was trapped inside. During rescue efforts, I saw a student pinned under two concrete pillars that had fallen across him. Only part of his body was visible and he was crying out for help. It was a horrifying scene,\u201d she said.Shah Zafar, a student, lives in the adjacent building. \u201cI am traumatised by what happened. I had stepped out of the adjacent building barely 10 minutes before the incident. Suddenly, there was a loud noise. Within moments, the building came crashing down. People started rushing out in panic, and the injured were quickly moved to the building on the opposite side,\u201d he said.The area was engulfed in darkness after the collapse. A fire official said poor lighting initially hampered rescue efforts. Additional manpower, a light van and earth movers were deployed to assist the operation. \u201cRescue operations are relatively easy during the day as there is natural light. At night, however, visibility is limited and teams have to work with much greater caution using artificial lighting,\u201d the official said.Witnesses, meanwhile, claimed the building was in poor condition and parts of it were under construction. \u201cI don\u2019t understand how students were studying and people were working there. The condition of the building was pathetic. If the collapse had occurred during regular office hours on a weekday, there could have been a massive loss of life,\u201d an eyewitness said.He added that part of the debris fell on his food mess close to the building. \u201cAt least 12-13 people were inside at the time of the collapse…My aunt, who runs the mess, is still trapped,\u201d he said.Dr Gulab Hussain, who was at a library near the building, said, \u201cWe couldn\u2019t see anything because of the smoke and dust. There were around 10 to 12 people in a nearby canteen. We joined rescue efforts and helped clear the debris.\u201dAnother witness, 21-year-old Himank, said the building was under construction for nearly two months. He claimed that around 25 to 30 workers were inside at the time of the collapse. \u201cThere were around 6-7 staff members and 5-6 students in the canteen at the time. The woman who runs the canteen was also there,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n