Under-construction building collapses at Kannauj railway station, several trapped

KANNAUJ: An under-construction building at the Kannauj railway station collapsed on Saturday afternoon, trapping around two dozen workers under the rubble, officials said.

At least 23 people have been injured in the incident. Six of them were pulled out of the debris and rushed to hospital, they said.

The North Eastern Railway (NER) said it has constituted a three-member committee to probe the incident.

Initial visuals from the site showed scenes of chaos and confusion with crowds, clouds of dust and broken beams as people tried to rescue those who had been trapped.

"According to preliminary information, the incident occurred when the under-construction shuttering of the roof collapsed," said District Magistrate (DM) Shubhrant Kumar Shukl.

"Our first priority is to rescue the workers who are trapped. We are using all resources at our disposal for the rescue efforts," Shukl, who had rushed to the spot along with other senior officials to supervise the rescue operation, added.

Roof shuttering is a temporary structure that supports concrete while it sets.

Minister of State (Independent Charge), Social Welfare, Asim Arun also reached the spot.

"So far, 23 people have been injured in the accident. While 20 of them suffered minor injuries, three of them sustained grievous injuries. The rescue operation is underway and will take a few more hours," the minister told reporters.

Construction was going on for the new terminal of the Kannauj railway station under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Arun said.

"Once the rescue operation is completed, a thorough probe will be launched into the incident, " he said.

The NER division of the Indian Railways said in a statement that it has formed a high-level three-member committee to investigate the incident at the Kannauj railway station.

"The investigation team will include the chief engineer, planning and design; the additional divisional railway manager, Izzatnagar; and the chief security commissioner of the Railway Protection Force," the statement quoted Chief Public Relations Officer of NER Pankaj Kumar Singh as saying.

"The injured workers are receiving proper treatment at hospital. The ex-gratia amount for the injured workers has been increased with a compensation of Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries and Rs 2.5 lakh for those with serious injuries," he said.

A shaken Mahesh Kumar, among those at the site, recalled his narrow escape.

"As soon as the concrete was poured over the shuttering, it suddenly collapsed. Everyone on it fell. I was standing at the edge and managed to escape," he said.

Taking cognisance of the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to ensure safe recovery of those trapped inside and their proper medical treatment.

State Relief Commissioner Bhanu Chandra Goswami is in touch with the Kannauj district administration for all possible help in relief work, state government officials said.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed at the site where frantic efforts are underway to rescue the workers. Ambulances have been kept on standby to provide first aid and take the injured to hospital.

The emergency ward at the district hospital is on alert and doctors have been put on standby, officials said.