Great escape: How 2 teens fortuitously dodged Satya Niketan tragedy

NEW DELHI: For 19-year-old Habeeb Khan and Navneet, being away from their PG accommodation on the day of the building collapse in Satya Niketan proved to be the difference between life and death.Habeeb was visiting his uncle in southeast Delhi’s Zakir Nagar, while Navneet travelled to his native place, Kila Parikshitgarh, in Uttar Pradesh for Janmashtami. Both were expected back in Satya Niketan Sunday, but instead learnt through phone calls and WhatsApp messages that the building they used to stay in had collapsed.Habeeb’s belongings were buried under the debris. Cops from South Campus police station found a bag containing Rs 40,000 in cash and, after verifying his identity, called him and handed over the money. His father later mentioned the incident in a social media post, thanking police.The PG had recently been painted inside and outside, giving it a spanking new appearance, Habeeb said. “It did not look like an old building. Construction work was on for the past 10 days. I used to live on the first floor and could hear the noise and feel the vibrations,” he said.A BA programme student at Motilal Nehru College, Habeeb has been staying at the PG for around a month. The accommodation had a capacity of 16 beds and charged around Rs 16,000 a bed per month, he said, adding that only two beds were empty.With his birthday and a festival falling around the weekend, he decided to spend some time in Zakir Nagar, he said, adding, “I lost some friends to the tragedy.”For Navneet (19), a simple request from his roommate and friend, Arpit Jaj, is the last memory he has of him. “Come soon, Navneet. I want to have cold coffee made by you,” Jaj had told him on the phone a few hours before he died in the collapse. Another close friend, Akshit Yadav, also perished.Navneet was staying in Room No. 302 on the third floor of the PG for around a year. He said the accommodation appeared less cramped than other PGs they had checked out. “This was the only one where we could get a room with a balcony,” he said.Navneet was supposed to return to Satya Niketan with his uncle early Sunday, but the plan fell through. He learnt about the incident from his native place. “At first, I thought a part of the building had collapsed. I did not realise the extent of what had happened,” he said, adding that he didn’t suspect the PG was structurally unsafe.“All my original educational certificates were buried under the debris, along with my clothes and everything else. I want my documents, especially my Class X and XII marksheets,” the second-year BA programme student said.However, returning to the locality is out of the question. “I don’t think I will be able to go back. I don’t think I am in that condition,” Navneet said.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in DelhiStay updated with the latest Delhi news. Download the TOI App.