NEW DELHI, Sept 7 — A building collapse in the Indian capital New Delhi killed at least three people yesterday, local media reports said, as authorities worked to rescue those trapped in the rubble.

The building, housing mostly students, came crashing down about midday in the south-western Satya Niketan area of the city, with police and disaster response personnel cautiously lifting the rubble using heavy machinery.

Three people died in the accident, according to The Hindu newspaper and other local media reports, quoting unnamed fire services officials.

Nine people were rescued from under the rubble, with five of them taken to a hospital in critical condition, the reports said.

The exact number of people feared trapped was not immediately known.

An adjacent building has been vacated over fears it could also collapse.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident was “distressing” and offered “condolences to those who lost their loved ones”, according to a statement from his office.

TV images showed rescuers pulling a young man out from the rubble and another trapped under a block of fallen concrete slab, with only his face visible.

Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said she was “deeply concerned” by the incident.

“Every possible effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped and provide immediate assistance to the affected families,” Gupta said in a social media post.

The Satya Niketan area is home to hundreds of university students living in crowded, privately-owned accommodations as paying guests.

Building collapses are frequent in India, and illegal structures — often home to migrant workers and students — are common in big cities.

Last year, at least 11 people were killed after a residential building collapsed in the northeastern district of the capital city. — AFP