New Delhi, Jun 2 (PTI): Holding candles and photographs of the victims, doctors and medical students gathered on the streets of Gautam Nagar on Tuesday evening to mourn those killed in the Saket building collapse and demand accountability, saying the tragedy had shattered the dreams of several aspiring medics.
The march was organised by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and members of the medical fraternity under the guidance of FAIMA’s Foreign Medical Graduate in-charge Dr Jaswant Yadav.
Participants expressed solidarity with the families of the deceased and injured students and observed a peaceful tribute for the victims.
Speaking at the march, Dr Ashish, who teaches several students affected by the incident, said that many of them had come from rural and middle-class backgrounds with aspirations of becoming doctors.
“Some students were pursuing their education after their families made significant sacrifices. Several of them were to appear for examinations within a month, but now many are dealing with injuries and trauma,” he said.
Alleging that complaints regarding the building had been raised earlier, he demanded that those responsible be punished without delay and also sought financial assistance for the families of the deceased and injured students.
“We want justice and accountability. The affected families should receive support from all possible sources, including the government and relief funds,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Jaswant Yadav said the candle march was organised as a peaceful tribute to the victims rather than a protest.
He alleged that complaints regarding the building had been submitted months before the collapse, but no effective action was taken.
“Several students have lost access to their study materials and accommodation following the incident. Their academic future has been severely affected,” he said.
Yadav also urged the authorities to conduct safety audits of hostels, paying guest accommodations and educational institutes in areas housing a large number of medical students.
He called for relief measures for the families of those killed and injured and urged the government to engage directly with students and doctors affected by the tragedy.
The march concluded with participants offering prayers for the deceased and expressing hope that measures would be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The building collapsed on May 30 in Saket, triggering a massive rescue operation that continued for several hours.
According to the police, the structure housed a coaching institute, cafes and offices while construction work was underway on its uppermost floor at the time of the collapse.
Six people were killed and eight others injured in the incident. PTI SHB SHB RUK RUK
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)