Rescuers pull off an all-nighter to save the day, ops conclude after 18 hrs

As part of rescue efforts, five holes were carved out with the help of two cranes and drilling machines to provide an access to the victims and supply them with oxygen.

LUCKNOW It was a race against time for rescue workers who were called to the accident spot after the five-storeyed Alaya Apartment building collapsed on Lucknow’s Wazir Hasan Road around 6:45 pm. Acknowledging that a higher gestation period could risk more lives, an all-out rescue operation was launched by 7:30 pm.

The rescue operation went on throughout the night. (HT Photo)

Swinging into action swiftly, teams from the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), U.P. State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF), local police, and the Indian Army started working in sync with each other. The forces received unequivocal support from medical officials, multiple ambulance services, fire tenders, and even crane operators who were kept on standby.

As part of rescue efforts, five holes were carved out with the help of two cranes and drilling machines to provide an access to the victims and supply them with oxygen. Subsequently, two more holes were dug to create more space. After a while, the rescue team used mikes to reach out to trapped victims and ascertain their locations. A 7-year-old child was rescued around 8:30 pm using the technique.

To ensure that no victim is left behind, the teams also used a robotic device. “As the rescue teams were facing issues to locate the victims, a robotic device was used to trace them. By 11:30 pm at least 12 people were taken out,” said Indrajeet Singh, Lucknow Municipal commissioner.

The rescue operation went on throughout the night. Due to the untiring efforts of the forces, two people were rescued around 5 am on Wednesday. The operation finally culminated at 1:30 pm after making sure that no other victim is trapped inside, said SB Shidekar, commissioner of police, Lucknow. “We will now work towards clearing out the debris and belongings of the people,” the senior cop added.

After the rescue operation came to a close, two Poclain machines were used to dig the entire roof to clear out the debris, which was subsequently cleared out by multiple LMC tractors.

Notably, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had put the entire government machinery on alert for as long as the rescue operation continued. Several state ministers -- including deputy CM Brijesh Pathak and urban development minister Arvind Kumar Sharma -- visited the spot and took stock of the relief works.

A timeline of rescue ops

Building collapse: 6:45 pm, Tuesday

Rescue operation started at 7: 30 pm

Senior officials reach the spot at 8 pm

The first victims were taken out around 8:30 pm

Indian Army was at the site around 9:30 pm

Sniffer dogs were called to trace victims at 9 pm

Rescue operation concluded at 1:30 pm on, Wednesday