Death toll in Ghaziabad building collapse rises to five

DCP Yadav said that the police are actively monitoring any similar factories potentially engaged in the illegal production of fireworks in the Loni, Muradnagar, and Modinagar areas

A day after the death of a 38-year-old woman, one of the injured persons in the building collapse incident in Ghaziabad’s Loni, another injured identified as Geeta Devi, who was receiving treatment at GTB Hospital, succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, raising the death toll to five, police said.

The police in connection with the incident arrested Mohammad Shariq who was operating the factory while his material supplier, Vikas Goel, was also arrested from nearby Farrukhnagar. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The incident, which took place on September 23, had initially left seven people injured, including Shaista Parveen, 36, and her two daughters, Alisha, 15, and Alina, 14, along with Noori, 18, Geeta Devi, 30, Mohammad Imran, 15, and Mehwis Khatoon, 38. Alisha, Alina, and Imran lost their lives on the same day, while Mehwis succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday, and Geeta Devi, passed away a day later.

Vivek Chandra Yadav, DCP (rural), said, “Geeta also succumbed during treatment on Thursday, and the toll has risen to five. We have asked the doctors to provide the best possible treatment to the other two injured women.”

On another note, Geeta’s family had previously informed HT that she had become a widow two years ago following her husband’s death in a road accident. Since then, she had faced improper treatment from her in-laws.

Consequently, she, along with her two young children, had moved to her sister’s house in Roop Nagar about two months ago, where she had started working at a factory, earning ₹200 per day.

Meanwhile, DCP Yadav said that the police are actively monitoring any similar factories potentially engaged in the illegal production of fireworks in the Loni, Muradnagar, and Modinagar areas.

Additionally, a thorough inquiry is underway regarding the alleged negligence of police officials responsible for the Roop Nagar locality where the building collapse occurred, police said.

DCP Yadav, while speaking to HT, said, “The local police post sub-inspector in-charge and the beat constable have been suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the building collapse incident. A departmental inquiry will follow the suspension.”

The police in connection with the incident arrested Mohammad Shariq who was operating the factory while his material supplier, Vikas Goel, was also arrested from nearby Farrukhnagar.

The police have initiated a suo motu FIR against Shariq, which includes relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Explosives Act. Suspect Goel was also included in this FIR under the Explosives Act.

“We are waiting for the two remaining women to recover at the earliest so that their statements get recorded. Shariq during questioning told police that a couple of minutes before the incident, the workers in the factory were preparing tea on an LPG stove and he went out for some work saying that he will be back in couple of minutes. Nearly two minutes after Shariq left, there was an explosion in the building and all seven were trapped in the debris. Shariq had locked the main gate from outside,” said Rajneesh Kumar Upadhyaya, ACP (Loni).

The ACP also said that Shariq had allegedly prepared a substantial consignment of fireworks intended for delivery to individuals in Delhi. These packed cartons were concealed in the houses of the victims.

“We recovered 21 cartons from the house of one of the victims, and these were seized as part of the police seizure memo. The victim families allowed the high-risk stock to be kept in their house as Shariq provided them with daily wages,” added the ACP.

The police said that Shariq will also be booked under the provisions of the Child Labour Act for allegedly employing children as labourers in a high-risk environment.

The Ghaziabad police after inquiry and investigation confirmed on September 25 that the rented building operated by suspect Mohammad Shariq, 22, was allegedly used for manufacture of illegal firecrackers and an explosion in LPG cylinder and fireworks material caused the collapse.