Several trapped after part of Kannauj railway station collapses

An under-construction building at the Kannauj railway station collapsed on Jan 11 afternoon, trapping around two dozen workers under the rubble, a senior official said.

Six workers have been rescued and rushed to hospital.

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 oversee the rescue operation, added.

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

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 cognizance 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.

(PTI)