Death toll in Meerut building collapse rises to 10; rescue operation still under way

MEERUT: The total number of deaths in the Meerut building collapse has risen to 10, while five individuals are undergoing treatment in hospital, said a senior police official on Sunday.

The police official said that the site of the incident has been sealed, but the search and rescue operation is continuing to ensure “no possibility of any human life in the debris”. The five injured individuals have been admitted to the hospital for medical treatment, while the recovered bodies have been sent to the hospital for further medical procedures, including post-mortem.

#WATCH | Meerut Building Collapse | Uttar Pradesh: 9 people out of the 14 rescued have lost their lives.

A three-storey building collapsed in the Zakir Colony of Meerut yesterday. 15 people were trapped inside. The rescue operations are underway. pic.twitter.com/B0O525KayO

— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024

According to the police official, the incident occurred around 4.30 pm on Saturday in the Zakir colony area of Meerut City. Meerut DM Deepak Meena said, “The incident occurred around 4.30 pm in Zakir Colony area of Meerut. As told by the family and relatives, 15 people were trapped in the debris of the house. All 15 have been rescued, 10 of them have died and five are undergoing treatment. The bodies have been sent to the hospital for further medical procedures including post-mortem. The area has been sealed and debris is being cleared. The rescue operation will go on till we find no possibility of any human life in the debris”.

Earlier in the day, reports said around nine people lost their lives after a three-storey building collapsed in the Zakir Colony area of Meerut city in Uttar Pradesh. The NDRF and SDRF teams used sniffer dogs to detect signs of human life under rubble as part of their rescue operation in Zakir Colony of Meerut. Teams NDRF and SDRF are present at the spot and rescue operations are ongoing amid rain in the area.

Currently, 11 districts in Uttar Pradesh are affected by floods. So far, 17 people have died due to floods, as per information by the office of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Earlier, the UP Chief Minister’s office, in a post on X, wrote, “Relief money of Rs 4 lakh each has been provided to the families of the deceased. So far, relief money has been provided to 30 affected people in connection with the loss of 30 animals. 3,056 houses have been damaged. Relief assistance has been distributed in connection”. (ANI)