The National Students Union of India called on the government to investigate the cause of the collapse and bring to justice those responsible for the disaster.
“Careless attitude towards the safety of students and ordinary people will not be tolerated at any cost,” the statement said.
Satya Niketan is a densely populated area with a large student population and many hostels located in the vicinity.
Many students coming from outside Delhi to study in South Campus colleges are forced to live in cheap private hostels and paying guest (PG) hostels due to non-availability of hostels on campus.
“There are 75 students in the sociology class, but only two get a place in the college dormitory. All other students have to live here,” Sawai Sharma, a student at Venkateswara College, told BBC News in Hindi.
Sharma, who often visited a friend who lived in the building and narrowly escaped the accident, said a bed in the building costs 18,000 rupees ($190; £140) a month, making it affordable for students.
Another student, Shivam Yadav, said his friend lived in the building and was in his room at the time of the accident.
“He was on the third floor at the time of the accident. He was rescued and taken to the hospital.”
Yadav said that most of the buildings in Satya Niketan are “overloaded”.
“The buildings are in a dilapidated condition. No checks are carried out. There are no rules or regulations here.”
College student Ankit Tiwari said the conditions in these hostels and nurseries are “horrific”.
“Students pay a lot for a very small space that they share with others. There is no running water or sewerage here.”
Tiwari, who lives nearby, reached the spot about half an hour after the collapse. “The students helped each other when we arrived first, before the rescue teams arrived. What we saw was tragic. We found books, damaged desks and study notes,” he said.
Building collapses in Delhi are relatively common, with more than 1,000 collapses reported in the last three years, killing dozens of people, according to fire officials.
Poor foundations, unsuitable materials and unskilled builders were some of the common causes of collapses.
In April last year, eleven people, including three children, were reportedly killed when a residential building collapsed in northeast Delhi.
In 2024, three students drowned after being stuck in a flooded basement of an exam preparation center in the capital Delhi, sparking anger and protests.
Additional reporting from Alex Phillips