Lucknow Building Collapse: 16 Rescued So Far, Mother & Wife Of SP Spokesperson Among Killed. Key Points

The deceased have been identified as Uzma Haider, 30, and Begum Haider, 87, the wife and mother of Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abbas Haider.

Rescue operation underway after the collapse of a four-storey residential building in the Hazratganj area, in Lucknow ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: A total of 16 people have been rescued so far and the mother and wife of a Samajwadi Party spokesperson were confirmed dead after a building collapsed in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow on Tuesday, news agency ANI reported.  

According to reports, five-storey Alaya Apartments in the Hazratganj area collapsed on Tuesday, leaving several trapped.

Here are the key developments on the incident:

• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel are engaged in the rescue work, while senior officials are overseeing the operation.
• The rescue personnel are taking all necessary precautions and avoiding the use of heavy machinery to avoid loss of life.
• The roads leading to the building, that were closed on Tuesday evening, have been reopened.
• According to reports, two women, the mother and wife of a Samajwadi Party spokesperson, have been confirmed dead while two more people are still feared trapped under the debris.
• The deceased have been identified as Uzma Haider, 30, and Begum Haider, 87, the wife and mother of Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abbas Haider. They were pulled out of the debris and died later.
• Officiating Director General of Police (DGP) DS Chauhan visited the spot and briefed the media about the rescue operation. “Construction of the building is of poor quality. That might be the reason behind its collapse. Permission was also not taken for the above two floors. Relief and rescue operations underway. Twelve teams each of NDRF and SDRF, and other teams deployed,” Chauhan said.
• SP MLAs Arman Khan and Ravidas Mehrotra said strict action should will be taken against the guilty. "Digging was going on in the basement. A probe should be initiated and strict action should be taken against the guilty. It's a very serious matter and those who played with lives of people should face action," SP MLA Mehrotra said.
• On being pointed out that the land on which the apartment was constructed belonged to his party leader, Mehrotra said, "This is not a matter of party and strict action should be taken."
• As per reports, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered setting up a three-member panel to probe the incident and submit a report within a week.
• Meanwhile, the Lucknow administration ordered lodging of a case against the builder and owners of the multi-storey building.