Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed sadness over the death of 24 people when the roof of a shelter at a cremation ground in Uttar Pradesh's Muradnagar collapsed on Sunday, and conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased.
Several people had taken shelter under the recently constructed structure at the cremation ground while it rained. The dead, all of them men, were mostly relatives or neighbours of Jai Ram, who was being cremated at that time.
"Deeply saddened by the news of the unfortunate incident in Uttar Pradesh's Muradnagar. The state government is engaged in the relief and rescue work. I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and also wish a speedy recovery for those injured," Modi said in a tweet in Hindi.
Advertisement
Rescue workers sifted through the rubble for hours to ensure that more victims were not trapped there. A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also sent to the spot in Muradnagar's Ukhlarsi village.
Apart from the 24 dead, 17 people were admitted at different hospitals, Ghaziabad (Rural) Superintendent of Police Iraj Raja said. At least 18 of the dead had been identified by the evening.
Several people had taken shelter under the recently constructed structure while it rained.
The dead, all of them men, were mostly relatives or neighbours of Jai Ram, who was being cremated at that time, officials said.
Advertisement
Rescue workers sifted through the building's rubble for hours to ensure that more victims were not trapped there.
The local people were the first to arrive at the cremation ground in Muradnagar’s Ukhlarsi village in Ghaziabad district, adjoining the national capital.
Police followed by a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) unit then reached the spot, pulling out the dead and the injured from the debris.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives. He announced Rs 2 lakh as financial relief for the families of each man killed.
The chief minister also directed Meerut’s Divisional Commissioner and Additional Director General of the police zone to submit a report on the incident.
Union minister V K Singh, who is a Member of Parliament from Ghaziabad, and several senior police and administration officials visited the accident site.
Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Atul Garg, who is the local BJP MLA, met some of the injured at the government hospital here.
