At least 10 people, including six members of a family in Pratapgarh, two siblings in Barabanki, a woman in Saharanpur and a one-year-old girl in Muzaffarnagar, were killed in four separate incidents during heavy rain in Uttar Pradesh between Wednesday night and Thursday. Seven others, including four children, sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment, police said.
In Pratapgarh, six members of a family, including an elderly couple, their daughter-in-law, two toddlers and a son, were killed after a nearly 100-year-old house collapsed in Mahuli area under Kotwali police station limits in the early hours of Thursday.
The incident occurred around 1.30 am at a house located near the Mahuli canal off the Chilbila Patti road. Police said the upper room of the two-storey structure, which was in a dilapidated condition, gave way and its wall crashed onto the room below where all seven family members were sleeping. The impact also brought down the roof of the lower room, trapping them under the debris.
The family had slept together in one room as it was fitted with an air conditioner.
The family’s elder son, Aman, who sustained injuries, managed to escape the rubble and alerted neighbours despite heavy rain.
{{/usCountry}}The family’s elder son, Aman, who sustained injuries, managed to escape the rubble and alerted neighbours despite heavy rain.
{{/usCountry}}“After nearly two hours, all seven occupants were pulled out and taken to the Pratapgarh Medical College, where Pramod Kumar Srivastava (60), his wife Rita Srivastava (55), younger son Nitin (25), daughter-in-law Madhuri (23), and Aman’s sons Madhav (2) and 10-month-old Advik alias Babu were declared dead. Aman (28) survived and is undergoing treatment,” Circle Officer (City) Ashutosh Mishra said.
Senior administrative and police officials, including district magistrate Abhishek Pandey and superintendent of police Deepak Bhukar, visited the spot on Thursday to review the situation.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the deaths, directed officials to expedite relief measures, ensure proper treatment for the injured and extend assistance to the bereaved family.
Acting on the chief minister’s instructions, the Pratapgarh district administration handed over ₹4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. A total of ₹26.20 lakh has been disbursed as ex gratia assistance to the affected families.
Hours after the incident, the Pratapgarh municipal administration launched a survey to identify unsafe buildings. Teams inspected and photographed dilapidated structures across the town. Municipal executive officer Rakesh Kumar said notices had already been issued to owners of 32 unsafe buildings, directing them to vacate the premises.
In a separate incident in Barabanki district, two siblings were killed and three other children injured after a brick wall collapsed in Gulchappa Kalan village under Dariyabad police station limits on Thursday morning.
Huzaifa (7) and his sister Hajra Bano (14) died in the incident, while Hassan (8), Hania (4) and their cousin Mohammad Adnan (14) sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment.
Villagers removed the debris before rushing the children to hospital, where doctors declared the siblings dead.
In Muzaffarnagar, a one-year-old girl died and three members of her family were seriously injured after a rain-weakened mud house collapsed in Habibpur village under Budhana tehsil on Thursday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Shivani. Her mother, Sangeeta (30), and siblings Lavish (8) and Nikku (7) were rescued from the debris by villagers, police and administrative officials before being taken to hospital.
In another incident, a 35-year-old woman died after a mud house collapsed in Ghaghreki village in Saharanpur district on Wednesday night. Station house officer Devesh Kumar Sharma said the woman was trapped under the debris after the house collapsed around 11.30 pm amid heavy rain. Police and local residents pulled her out and rushed her to a primary health centre, where doctors declared her dead.
Police have sent the bodies for postmortem examination and ordered an inquiry into the incidents.
Meanwhile, six members of a family were injured after the roof of their house collapsed in Parihar Mau village under the Nagla Khangar police station area of Firozabad district on Thursday morning. In a separate incident, a dilapidated house in the busy market area of Etah city collapsed during incessant rain. No one was injured, though a passerby had a narrow escape, police said.
Rain brings down hut, teen killed in Lucknow
A 17-year-old Class 11 student died and her mother was injured after a thatched hut collapsed during heavy rain in Lucknow’s Mohanlalganj on Wednesday night, police said on Thursday.
Rinki and her mother, Binda Dei, were asleep in their hut in Gadiyana village when it caved in around 11.30 pm. Villagers pulled them out of the debris, but Rinki had allegedly died. Binda Dei was admitted for treatment.
Police said Rinki’s father, Gokul Prasad, a chowkidar posted at Mohanlalganj police station, was on night duty when the incident occurred. The body has been sent for postmortem examination.