TL:DR: India recorded 1,435 structure-collapse cases and 1,525 deaths in 2024, with both figures lower than a decade earlier. Yet the risk remains concentrated: residential buildings accounted for nearly two-thirds of reported cases, deaths and injuries. Although fatalities have declined from their 2018 peak, deaths still outnumbered injuries by more than ten to one in 2024. Four states: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan account for almost half of the fatalities, while Uttar Pradesh and Delhi accounted for two-thirds of injuries in 2024. The broader picture is also equally important, structure collapses represented only 0.3% of accidental deaths, while 98% resulted from other causes. The numbers highlight a persistent, concentrated safety risk within India’s wider accidental mortality burden.

Context

Buildings are designed to withstand the pressures of everyday life. Yet when one collapses, the consequences can unfold in seconds, with lives buried beneath concrete, steel and brick. On 7 September 2026, a five-storey building housing a boys’ hostel in Delhi’s Satya Niketan collapsed, killing at least six people and trapping others beneath the debris. The incident once again drew attention to the risks posed by ageing structures, inadequate maintenance, water damage and potentially unauthorised construction or repair work.

The record of such incidents shows that structural collapses are a recurring hazard, affecting residential buildings, commercial establishments, schools, hostels and other public spaces. In this analysis, we examine what the data reveals about deaths caused by structural collapses in India: where they occur, which types of structures are most often involved, and how the toll varies across India.

Who compiles this data?

The National Crime Records Bureau’s Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India (ADSI) report provides the data on the building collapses. It records “Collapse of Structure” as a distinct cause of accidental death and breaks the data down by the type of structure, state and union territory, and the gender and age of those who died.

Where can I download clean & structured data related to this?

Clean, structured, and ready-to-use collection of datasets related to Accidental deaths in India is available on Dataful. It has year-, state- and gender-wise data on accidental deaths due to forces of nature, other causes, road accidents and so on.

Key Insights

The Rate of Accidental Deaths Has Been Rising Since 2020

India recorded 4.68 lakh accidental deaths in 2024, up from 4.44 lakh in 2023. More importantly, the rate of accidental deaths rose from 31.9 to 33.3 deaths per lakh population, continuing the steady increase seen since the 2020 low of 27.7.

What stands out is where these deaths come from. In 2024, just 1.7% of accidental deaths were attributed to ‘forces of nature’, while 98.3% came from ‘other causes’. In 2014, deaths from ‘forces of nature’ accounted for 4%, but their share has generally remained around 1–2% in recent years.

So, while natural events such as lightning, heat/sun stroke and exposure to cold do claim thousands of lives, they represent only a small fraction of India’s overall accidental mortality. The larger story is the persistent burden of accidents arising from traffic, everyday environments and other human-related circumstances.

The broader trend is therefore less about deaths from forces of nature and more about the continuing and recently rising rate of deaths from other causes. Within other causes, the share of deaths from collapse of structures went from 0.5% in 2015 to 0.3% in 2024.

Residential buildings account for nearly two-thirds of reported structure-collapse cases

India recorded 1,435 cases of structure collapse in 2024, down from 1,587 in 2023 and 1,830 in 2015. The number peaked at 1,958 cases in 2017, before declining over the subsequent years, although the trend has been uneven. In fact, the number of structural collapse cases recorded in 2024 is the lowest since 2015.

Residential structures dominate the structure collapse cases. Dwelling houses and residential buildings accounted for 922 cases in 2024, or nearly 64% of all reported structure-collapse cases. This was also the lowest number recorded for this category during the 2015–2024 period, down from a peak of 1,218 cases in 2019.

Other types of structures accounted for considerably fewer cases. In 2024, there were 51 cases involving official or commercial buildings, 30 involving bridges, and 13 involving dams. A further 419 cases were classified under “other causes.”

Overall, there is a clear pattern that collapses of structures in India are overwhelmingly associated with residential buildings, even as the total number of reported cases has fallen from the levels seen in the late 2010s.

Deaths from structure collapses have fallen, but residential buildings remain the biggest risk

The human toll from structure collapses has declined over the past decade, though the decline has been uneven. Deaths fell from 1,885 in 2015 to 1,525 in 2024, a reduction of 19%. The highest number was recorded in 2018, at 2017 deaths, after which fatalities generally moved downward, with a brief increase in 2021–2023. Injuries have fallen more sharply: 295 people were injured in 2015 compared with 151 in 2024, a decline of nearly 49%.

Residential structures account for the overwhelming share of the deaths. In 2024, 988 people died in dwelling houses or residential buildings, representing nearly 65% of all deaths from structure collapses. This is down from a peak of 1,241 deaths in both 2018 and 2019, but residential buildings have remained the dominant category throughout the period. They also accounted for 94 of the 151 injuries recorded in 2024, or about 62%.

The contrast between deaths and injuries is notable: structure collapses are far more likely to result in fatalities than injuries, with deaths outnumbering injuries by more than ten to one in 2024, up from six to one in 2015. While the frequency and human toll of reported structural-collapse incidents have declined, the risk remains heavily concentrated in residential buildings.

UP, MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan account for almost half of the fatalities

Structural-collapse deaths are not evenly distributed across India. In 2024, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan together accounted for 757 deaths, half of all structure-collapse fatalities nationwide. This concentration has persisted over the past decade, with these four states accounting for 47% to 60% of deaths each year. Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra alone recorded 224 and 223 deaths, respectively, in 2024. However, in terms of injuries, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh cumulatively accounted for 67% of the injuries in 2024, up from 33% in 2015.

Why does it matter?

Structural collapses may account for only a small share of accidental deaths in India, but their consequences are disproportionately severe. In 2024, 1,525 people died, and 151 were injured in structure-collapse incidents. Nearly two-thirds of both deaths and injuries occurred in residential buildings, placing homes at the centre of the risk. While reported collapses and fatalities have declined over the past decade, the persistence of such incidents points to the importance of building safety, maintenance, construction quality and enforcement of regulations. The data also helps identify where prevention efforts could have the greatest impact.

Key numbers

• Rate of Accidental Deaths in India
  2014: 36.3;  2018: 31.1;  2021: 29.1; 2024: 33.3

• Cases of Collapse of Structures in India
  2015: 1830;  2018: 1953;  2021: 1576; 2024: 1435

• Deaths and Injuries due to Collapse of Structures in India

  • Deaths: 2015: 1885;  2018: 2017;  2021: 1630; 2024: 1525

  • Injuries: 2015: 295;  2018: 259;  2021: 166; 2024: 151