The death toll from a building collapse in Lucknow, India, rose to eight on Sunday morning after rescue workers recovered three more bodies from the debris. The incident occurred on Saturday when a three-story building housing godowns and a motor workshop in the Transport Nagar area collapsed, injuring 28 people.
The rescue operation continued overnight, with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) working tirelessly to clear the rubble. The three newly identified victims were Raj Kishore (27), Rudra Yadav (24), and Jagrup Singh (35).
An FIR has been registered against Rakesh Singhal, the owner of the collapsed building, known as the Harmilap Building, on the complaint of Transport Nagar Chowki incharge MK Singh.
While the rescue efforts focus on ensuring no one remains trapped, Joint Commissioner of Police Amit Verma stated that the possibility of finding survivors is slim. He explained that if anyone was still trapped, their families would have already contacted authorities.
Expressing his grief over the loss of lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is scheduled to visit Lok Bandhu Hospital in Lucknow to meet the injured, has expressed condolences to the grieving families and has instructed officials to conduct relief and rescue operations on a war footing.
To investigate the cause of the collapse, a committee has been formed, which will include structural engineers and experts to provide insights into the incident. Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Amit Verma, announced the formation of this committee.
