Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up the commissioner and sought information about the house collapse incident in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi. The PM promised all possible help and treatment to the injured and expressed condolences to the deceased, jagran.com reported. One woman died and eight others were rescued after two dilapidated houses collapsed near the Kashi Vishwanath temple Varanasi early on Tuesday. The incident occurred in the Khoya Gali Chowk area of Varanasi. Initially, nine people, including a woman police constable, were trapped under the debris. Following efforts by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, the constable, along with other trapped persons, have been rescued.
VIDEO | Two houses collapsed near Varanasi's Kashi Vishwanath Temple area, earlier today. Eight people feared trapped. Rescue operations underway.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 6, 2024
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/dv5TRARJn4) pic.twitter.com/m91D1CIayt
The commissioner told the PM that there are misconceptions among the people living around the temple that they will have to take NOC from the temple administration for the repair of dilapidated houses, but there is nothing like that. An awareness campaign will be run immediately to provide information about this. Any person can get the house repaired. If the house is to be extended or the map has to be changed, only then a permission will have to be taken from the VDA, jagran.com stated.
The injured persons are being treated at a nearby hospital. The constable is also undergoing treatment and is stable, police said.
“The rescue operation is about to finish now. 9 people in the family were trapped; all of them were taken out and sent to a hospital. A woman constable who was on duty here has been injured and sent to the BHU Trauma Centre, where she is out of danger. A woman admitted at Kabir Chaura Hospital has been declared dead in a hospital,” Varanasi police commissioner Mohit Agarwal said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
Recommended For You
NDRF DIG MK Sharma told the media that the rescue operations lasted around four hours. “We will conduct a final search before closing the rescue operation,” he said.
According to Varanasi divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma, their next priority after the end of rescue operations is to clean the debris and restore the supply of water and electricity in the houses. As per officials, the dilapidated houses were around 70 years old, news agency PTI reported.
Kaushal Raj Sharma also clarified that no NOCs or permission from the Kashi Vishwanath temple are technically required for any construction or restoration work outside the premises.
“The construction work of the temple started five years ago and was completed two and half years ago. Permission from temple administration is not required for the construction work of any house outside the premises of the temple,” he said.
(With Agency Inputs)