Sambhal (UP): Two people were killed and some others were feared trapped under the rubble when the roof of a cold storage building collapsed in Chandausi here on Thursday, a senior police officer said. A case has been lodged against the owners of the cold storage.
Till evening, 10 people had been rescued, Deputy Inspector General of Police Shalabh Mathur said. Rescue workers were still working to bring others to safety.
District Magistrate Manish Bansal said personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and district administration were carrying out relief and rescue operations.
Superintendent of Police Chakresh Mishra had earlier said 15-20 people were feared trapped under the rubble. The DIG said details of those who died are being collected.
“A case of causing death by negligence (304 A IPC) has been lodged against Ankur Agarwal and Rohit Agarwal the owners of the cold storage following the incident,” said the DIG.
He said that the section of the cold storage that collapsed Thursday was built only three months ago without the necessary permission from the administration and the number of potatoes stored there was more than the prescribed capacity of the cold storage.
SDM Chandausi, Ramkesh Dhama, said the roof of AR cold storage on Islam Nagar Road in Mai village collapsed.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked officials to carry out immediate relief and rescue work.
“In view of the accident in the cold storage in Chandausi district of Sambhal, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the district administration officials, SDRF and NDRF teams to conduct immediate relief and rescue work by reaching the spot,” the CM Office tweeted.
Chief Medical Officer Tarannum Raza told that 15-20 ambulances and over half a dozen doctors were at the spot to help the injured. Oxygen cylinders have also been arranged.
Around six excavators have been pressed into service to clear the debris, officials said. Sambhal is around 155 km from Delhi and over 350 km from Lucknow, the state capital.
The DIG said that some still trapped inside are alerting the rescuers by shouting. Due to the presence of Ammonia gas cylinders in the cold storage, extra precaution is being taken while carrying out rescue work, the DIG said.
Additional lights have been arranged for carrying the operation which would continue till late night, he said.
PTI