Six dead, several feared trapped after building collapse in Lucknow
LUCKNOW, SEPT 8 : Six people were killed and 28 others rescued when a three-storey building collapsed in the Transport Nagar area of Lucknow on Saturday evening around 5 pm, officials said.
Four teams of NDRF, six teams of SDRF, five teams of fire department and the district police continue to carry out the rescue and relief operation as more are feared trapped in the debris.
As per a primary report, Harmilap building, which is said to be three-storey, was 15 years old and was used for wholesale pharma trading.
UP Relief Commissioner Naveen Kumar confirmed the death of five persons including the son of the building owner. According to Additional Director General (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash, 24 persons are rescued so far and they are admitted at different hospitals for treatment with a few having sustained grievous injuries.
As per the police sources, at least 35 to 40 individuals were present in the complex when it collapsed in the evening after a period of intense rainfall that caused waterlogging in the surrounding area.
Eight ambulances were pressed into service to rush the injured to hospital. Most of the injured persons were taken to Lok Bandhu Hospital.
The identities of the three deceased were ascertained as Pankaj Tiwari (40), Dheeraj Gupta (48), and Arun Sonkar (28) while the two were yet to be identified. The toll may further rise.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took note of the incident and issued directives to district officials to ensure immediate medical treatment for the injured and to expedite relief efforts.
SDRF personnel conduct rescue operation after a building collapsed, crushing a truck under its debris, in Lucknow, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. At least 10 people are feared trapped, according to officials.
Upon receiving information about the incident, Lucknow MP and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Lucknow District Magistrate Suryapal Gangwar. He inquired about the details of the accident and directed the district authorities to ensure that the injured received immediate and appropriate medical treatment.
Chief Fire Officer Lucknow, Mangesh Kumar, who was among the first responders, claimed that as per the preliminary investigations, construction work was underway in the building’s basement at the time of the collapse.
“We are employing both technological tools and manual efforts to locate any individuals trapped inside,” said Kumar. The collapse led to a chaotic scene at the accident sites as the visuals from the accident site also saw a truck trapped in the building debris with victims crying out for help.
People from the vicinity reached the spot and tried to take out the people buried under the debris. Divisional Commissioner, Roshan Jacob, Additional DG (law and order) Amitabh Yash, Lucknow DM Suryapal Gangwar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Amit Verma, and LMC Commissioner Inderjit Singh arrived to oversee the rescue operations.
-PTI
