At least 18 people were killed when the roof of a shelter at a cremation ground in Uttar Pradesh’s Muradnagar collapsed on Sunday.
The roof reportedly collapsed when over 25 people had taken shelter at the structure while it was raining. Most of them were relatives of Ram Dhan, who was being cremated at that time.
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Hours later, rescue workers were still going through the rubble to locate more victims, Ghaziabad (Rural) Superintendent of Police Iraj Raja said. Several people are admitted at hospitals.
A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also been rushed to the spot.
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5:18 pm: Rescue work underway | See pics
3:49 pm: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident.
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 3, 2021
The chief minister directed officials to give financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased, a statement issued by the state government said.
The chief minister also directed the Divisional Commissioner of Meerut and ADG Meerut zone to submit a report in this connection.
3:41 pm: Union Minister Rajnath Singh expresses condolences to the families of those killed in the incident
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— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) January 3, 2021
(With inputs from PTI)