For Kapil, who aspired to become a scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), the happiest day of his life turned out to be his last. On Saturday, he had performed exceptionally well in the interview for a position at the prestigious institution. Confident about a positive outcome, with results expected in July, he was overjoyed at the prospect of achieving a major milestone in his career.

To celebrate what he believed was his success, he hosted a party for five friends that evening at a canteen near the building that collapsed on Saturday evening, leading to six deaths. The group included Nalin and Alok, who were also preparing for GATE. While some of his friends managed to escape, Kapil was buried beneath the rubble. He was pulled out late at night and rushed to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Ekta’s father, a farmer, had invested everything in his daughter’s education. In 2020, Ramesh Chand sold family land to finance her medical studies in Kyrgyzstan. After completing MBBS there, she returned to India and moved to Delhi to prepare for the FMGE licensing examination.

“She was brilliant in her studies,” her father said. “Becoming a doctor had been her dream since childhood.”
He recalled encouraging her to focus on Mathematics because she consistently scored high marks in the subject. However, Ekta always gave the same reply: “I want to become a doctor,” he said.

Remembering Parvati, the owner of the canteen who also died in the building collapse , a female student said that the shop’s affordable prices and hygienic food attracted many living in the area. “She was very humble, and her staff treated customers with respect. During the cylinder crisis, she did not even increase the prices of food,” the student said.

The shop’s parathas and cold coffee were among its most popular items. Parvati and her family had been running the eatery for over a year, serving students and local residents alike.