Meerut (UP): At least 10 people, including three children, died after a dilapidated three-storey house collapsed due to incessant rain in Lohia Nagar locality of Meerut here in Uttar Pradesh, police sources said here on Sunday.
Police sources said that during the rescue operation, which continued till Sunday morning, nine injured were recovered from the debris, who died during treatment. "The narrow streets and heavy rain made it difficult for rescue teams to access the site with JCB machines, hindering their efforts," they said.
Police sources said that the house, located in lane number seven of Zakir Colony, belonged to 90-year-old Nafisa, also known as Nafo. "Her sons operated a dairy on the ground floor, while 15 family members lived on the two upper floors, including Nafisa’s sons Sajid and Naeem, their wives Saima and Alisha, and several children, including Rimsha (5), Hamza (2), and other relatives, including Nadeem and his wife Farhana, Shakir and his wife Sahiba.
It may be noted that on Saturday evening around 5 pm, the entire house collapsed with an explosion, trapping all 15 occupants under the debris. Upon receiving the information, top police and administrative officials, along with residents, rushed to the scene to assist with the rescue operation.
Police sources said that despite challenges caused by the narrow streets and heavy rain, the rescue teams worked tirelessly to remove the debris and save those trapped.
Police sources said that by 11 pm, Sajid (40), his wife Saima, their son Saqib, and their daughter Sania (15), along with neighbour Sufiyan, and one-and-a-half-year-old Simra, were rescued from the rubble in an injured state. "They were immediately admitted to the Medical College Hospital.
However, Nafisa, Sajid, Sania, Saqib, Riya, Simra, Farhana, and two others, whose identities remain unknown, succumbed to their injuries," they said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vipin Tada said that given the possibility of more people being trapped under the debris, an NDRF team continued the rescue operation overnight to clear the wreckage. He said that five injured individuals are currently receiving treatment, with several in serious condition.