The death toll in the tragic collapse of the three-storey building in Lucknow has mounted to eight. The commercial complex, which is located in Transport Nagar, has four warehouses. Over 30 people were working there. As many as 22 injured have been admitted to various hospitals. The rescue operation continued till late night on Saturday.
In addition to the police and fire brigade teams, NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) and SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) teams were also deployed in the rescue operation. The debris was cleared by using cutters to rescue people.
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Rajnarayan Singh, the spokesperson for the Transport Nagar Trade Association and Warehouse, stated that the building collapsed due to a weakened foundation, which was caused due to waterlogging. He mentioned that several complaints had been made about this issue, but the administration did not pay attention.
Eyewitnesses say that about an hour before the incident, the plaster from one of the pillars had fallen off. Some people also speculate that a truck might have collided with one of the complex's pillars, Jagran.com reported. District Magistrate Suryapal Gangwar stated that the exact cause of the building collapse will only be known after a thorough investigation. Atul Krishna Singh, the head of the enforcement cell of the Lucknow Development Authority, mentioned that the building belongs to Kumkum Singhal and its blueprint was approved on August 31, 2010.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, also an MP from Lucknow, have expressed anguish over the incident. Additional Home Secretary Deepak Kumar and ADG Law and Order, Amitabh Yash, were immediately rushed to the incident site to take stock of the situation.