Surajpur wall collapse: Kids were visiting grandparents to enjoy summer vacation

Saghir and his family were residing at another pucca house in the same locality while he built the two-storeyed house where the incident occurred

Six minors, among whom three were killed after a wall collapsed on them on Friday following torrential rain, were visiting their grandparents’ home to spend their summer vacation at Surajpur in Greater Noida and were playing with two teenagers when the incident took place, police officers aware of the matter said on Saturday.

On Friday evening, the kids, all cousins, were playing together at the house which has been under-construction for last six months, and the family members were out on the street, talking, just when the wall collapsed. (HT Photo)

It is suspected that the wall’s foundation turned weak after the heavy rain, and it collapsed, also leaving five wounded, they added. The incident took place around 7.45pm at an under-construction home in Khonda Kalan village, they added.

“It was supposed to be a happy reunion. My son, daughter and nephew’s kids had all come to the village about 10 days ago to spend the last of their school’s summer vacations. On Friday evening, the kids, all cousins, were playing together at my house which has been under-construction for the last six months. We (adult family members) were out on the street, talking. They were chasing each other around, laughing,” said Saghir, a mason who was building the house himself.

Police teams reached the spot by 8pm and rushed five injured children to a nearby hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment. Three of the kids succumbed to their injuries on the spot. According to the affected minors’ family, one of the injured, identified as Hussain, is in critical condition.

According to deputy commissioner of police (Noida central) Suniti (who goes by a single name), the local police formed a “green corridor” to transport the critical children on Friday night from a local hospital in Dadri to a multi-specialty hospital in Knowledge Park-3.

“The relatives had first taken the five injured to a local hospital in Dadri, located near their home. However, one of the children was very critical and referred to a multispecialty hospital. There was a traffic rush on the way. Local police had to stop traffic to form a green corridor from Dadri to Knowledge Park-3 to make way for the ambulance to reach the multispecialty hospital on time,” said the DCP.

The deceased were identified as Ahad, 4, and Alfiza, 2, children of Moinuddin, and Adil, 8, son of Sher Khan. The injured include Ayesha, 16, and Sameer, 15, children of Saghir; Hussain, 5, son of Ikram; Sohna, 12, daughter of Rahees; and Wasil, 11, son of Sher Khan.

Saghir and his family were residing at another pucca house in the same locality while he built the two-storeyed house where the incident occurred. “It was supposed to be a happy reunion. My son, daughter and nephew’s kids had all come to the village about 10 days back to spend the last of their summer vacations. On Friday evening, the kids, all cousins, were playing together at my house which has been under construction for the last six months. The adults were out on the street at the time,” said Saghir (single name), 50, father to two of the injured minors.

“I heard a loud cracking sound, suddenly. Before I could react, the wall crumbled with a deafening crash, leading to dust and debris flying everywhere,” said Saghir, a mason who was building the house himself, adding that they rushed inside upon hearing children’s screams.

Expressing remorse, Saghir said, “We hadn’t seen our grandchildren together like this in a long time. Now, three of them are gone, and we don’t know if the others will be okay. I blame myself for everything, I will never be able to forget myself. My son Moinuddin has lost both his children, I am praying for the recovery of all the other children.”

Public relations chief at Sharda Hospital in Greater Noida Dr Ajit Kumar said four of the five injured children are stable and out of danger. “Their injuries range from fractures to head trauma. But we are hopeful for their recovery. It’s a critical time, and they are under constant observation of an expert team of doctors,” he added.

Meanwhile, DCP Sunita informed that no investigation is being carried out by police in the incident. “The family has submitted a written declaration to the police that they do not want any investigation. The bodies of the three deceased have been handed back to the families,” she said.

The DCP refrained to comment on whether the wall collapsed due to Friday’s heavy rain, saying, “There is no way to ascertain the same without technical investigation.”

Aabid Khan, Saghir’s nephew and neighbour said that he rushed inside the house as soon as he heard the wall collapse. “It was horrifying... We started digging through the rubble immediately, trying to pull the children out. We called for help and other people from the locality also joined in, while some called the police,” he said.

“Sher Khan had arrived from Luharli in Greater Noida while Moinuddin, Ikram and Rahees are residents of Mustafabad in Delhi. Moinuddin is Saghir’s son while Ikram and Rahees are his nephews. Sher Khan’s wife Nisar Khan is Saghir’s niece and my sister,” said Aabid.

According to the family, Sher Khan took his son Adil’s body to his village, while the funeral of Moinuddin’s sons was held in Khodna Kalan. The community has rallied to support the grieving family on Saturday with neighbors offering their condolences.