People stare at the tilted building in Munirka on Thursday. (Express Photo: Gajendra Yadav)

On the pavement next to the main gate of the JNU campus Thursday, several families who were evacuated from the six-storey building across the road, which had tilted, looked distressed on not being able to take their belongings. Many of the residents work as auto drivers, assistants in shops or as domestic helps in nearby localities.

Neetu Devi, who hails from Aligarh and works as a help at teachers’ homes in JNU, said, “We don’t have any relatives here to stay with. Officials aren’t telling us if we will be allowed to take our belongings or not.” She and her husband sat on the pavement, looking at the building. Neetu, however, is thankful that she and her five-member family are safe.

Next to her sat Ashok Mahto, who works in a grocery store as a helper, along with his wife. “Around 4 am, we heard people shouting that cracks had developed in the building. We immediately rushed outside,” he said, adding that cracks have developed inside the house as well.

Residents said they pay Rs 5,500 as rent for a one-bedroom flat. There were two such flats on each floor.

Sneh Lata, whose husband works as an auto driver, said, “We don’t have anything to eat… we just left with the clothes on our backs. Our children too are outside in this cold.”