Kannauj slab collapse case: FIR lodged; contractor, engineer named

The incident occurred around 2:20pm on Saturday when a scaffold supporting a newly-constructed framework across a 7,500 sqft area at the station collapsed.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) at Farrukhabad station registered an FIR on Sunday following the incident at Kannauj railway station on Saturday, where a concrete slab collapsed during construction. The FIR names contractor Ram Vilas Rai and engineer Suraj Mishra, who face charges under sections 125 (negligence), 289 (endangering public safety), 290 (damage to railway infrastructure), and sections 146 and 153 of the Railway Act. Superintendent of Police (SP) GRP Abhishek Verma stated that the investigation will be conducted by GRP Farrukhabad.

Rescue operation underway after an under-construction building collapsed at the Kannauj railway station, trapping around two dozen workers under the rubble, in Kannauj on Sunday. (PTI)

The incident occurred around 2:20pm on Saturday when a scaffold supporting a newly-constructed framework across a 7,500 sqft area at the station collapsed. Approximately 40 workers were present at the site. By Sunday afternoon, the debris was completely cleared, and no workers were found trapped. Emergency teams, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), rescued 28 workers. Among them, 23 sustained injuries, with the most seriously injured rushed to nearby hospitals. Three victims were referred to King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow and two to LLR Hospital in Kanpur. Eight people remain in critical condition till reports last came in.

Local authorities have confirmed that the area was cleared of all construction workers before the collapse, preventing further casualties. As a precaution, the entire platform area has been cordoned off with barricades to ensure public safety. The site was subsequently inspected by Inspector General of the Railway Protection Force, Mohd Tariq, along with senior railway officials.