New Delhi: At least 25 people, most of them attending a funeral, were killed and more than a dozen injured when the roof of a shelter at a cremation ground in Uttar Pradesh’s Muradnagar collapsed on Sunday. The incident occurred when 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 the time of the mishap.
Following the incident, several questions have been raised over the construction of the crematorium. The local people have claimed that bad material was used for building the shed. Besides, they said the rubble showed that very little cement was used in construction, which led to the tragedy. People have demanded that the contractor responsible for the construction of the shelter at the cremation ground be arrested.
On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed Meerut’s Divisional Commissioner and Additional Director General of the police zone to submit a report on the incident. The chief minister also announced that Rs 2 lakh as financial relief for the families of each man killed.
Meanwhile, contractor Ajay Tyagi, executive officer of the municipality Niharika Singh, junior engineer Chandra Pal and supervisor Ashis were booked under relevant sections of the IPC, including 304 (causing death by negligence) on the complaint of a deceased’s son at the Muradnagar police station.