India, Sept. 11 -- With structural safety under scrutiny after Sunday's deadly building collapse in Satya Niketan, experts said the issue goes beyond violations of building norms and unauthorised construction. They stressed that safety checks must begin before construction, with three critical factors - soil investigation, structural design and construction material - that must be assessed before a building comes up.

The concerns are particularly relevant to Delhi, which falls in Seismic Zone 4, classified as having a "high risk" of earthquakes. Official estimates also suggest more than 60% of the city's population lives in unauthorised or illegal areas, where buildings have often come up without adhering to construction or safety norms....