LUCKNOW: At least 23 people were injured, with several trapped under debris, after the shuttering of an under-construction roof collapsed at Kannauj railway station on Saturday afternoon.
Six of the injured were pulled from the rubble and rushed to the hospital. Of these, three critically injured workers were transferred to the KGMU Trauma Centre in Lucknow for advanced treatment.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and directed officials to ensure the safe recovery of those trapped.
Two teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with a dog squad and specialised equipment to detect human presence under rubble, were dispatched from Lucknow to assist in the rescue operations.
The site was filled with chaos and confusion as crowds gathered, dust clouds billowed, and broken beams littered the area.
Rescue teams worked frantically to locate and assist those feared trapped under the debris.
The construction was part of a project to upgrade Kannauj railway station under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
Inspector General of Police (Kanpur Range) Jogendra Kumar said the incident was reported at around 2:30 p.m. He added that about 35 labourers were working at the site when the collapse occurred.
“So far, no casualties have been reported, and no bodies have been recovered. There are no reports of missing persons,” Mr. Kumar said. However, SDRF teams continue to scan the area to ensure no one remains trapped.
District Magistrate Shubhrant Kumar Shukla said that the incident occurred when the shuttering of the roof gave way. “Our priority is to rescue the workers. All available resources are being utilised for the operation,” he said, supervising the efforts alongside senior officials.
Roof shuttering is a temporary structure that supports concrete during construction until it sets.
Aseem Arun, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Social Welfare and BJP MLA from Kannauj Sadar, visited the site to monitor the situation. He confirmed that 23 people were injured in the collapse, with 20 sustaining minor injuries and three suffering serious injuries. “Rescue operations are ongoing and may take a few more hours,” he told reporters.
The North Eastern Railway (NER) division has formed a high-level, three-member committee to investigate the incident. The committee includes the Chief Engineer (Planning and Design), the Additional Divisional Railway Manager of Izzatnagar, and the Chief Security Commissioner of the Railway Protection Force.
NER Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Pankaj Kumar Singh announced compensation for the victims. “An ex-gratia amount of ₹50,000 will be given to those with minor injuries, and ₹2.5 lakh to those with serious injuries,” he said.
State Relief Commissioner Bhanu Chandra Goswami is coordinating with the Kannauj district administration to ensure all possible support for rescue and relief efforts. SDRF teams continue to work at the site, with ambulances on standby to transport the injured to hospitals.
The district hospital’s emergency ward has been put on high alert, with doctors and medical staff ready to handle any influx of patients.
“Once the rescue operation is complete, a detailed investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the incident,” Minister Arun said.