LUCKNOW: Five killed and nine injured in a wall collapse of a cold storage building collapsed in Phaphamau area of Prayagraj on Monday afternoon.
Around 20 workers were feared trapped under the debris. Soon after the incident, ammonia gas began leaking from the cold storage facility, causing panic in the area.
The district administration launched a rescue operation using five JCB machines, while teams of SDRF and NDRF reached the spot. Nine people were rescued from under the debris. However, the administration has not yet officially confirmed the fatalities.
The injured persons were taken to Swaroop Rani Hospital (SRN) by ambulance, and most of them are reported to be in critical condition.
Police detained the cold storage manager and several staff members for questioning.
Speaking to media, a worker at the facility told that six people were pulled out from the debris, out of which five were found dead. He said that three of the bodies were taken away by police personnel. However, the administration has not yet officially confirmed any deaths in the incident.
Prayagraj Police Commissioner Joginder Kumar and District Magistrate Manish Verma reached the site and reviewed the rescue operation with officials present there.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced Rs 50,000 for the injured and an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased.
In the post, he said, "Deeply saddened by the mishap due to the collapse of a building in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families in this difficult hour. May those injured recover at the earliest.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a post on X in Hindi, said, "The loss of life resulting from the accident at the cold storage facility in the Prayagraj district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families."
"I have issued directives to provide financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident, and have instructed district administration officials to immediately send the injured to the hospital to ensure they receive proper medical treatment," he said.
According to a statement, he has also announced financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to the injured labourers.