Lucknow building collapse: 16 pulled out alive so far; CM orders probe

Lucknow, Jan 25: One more person was rescued from the rubble of a building that collapsed here last evening, taking the total number of people pulled out so far to 16, while at least two more are still feared trapped, a senior official said Wednesday.

A coordinated multi-agency search operation is underway to locate the two, even as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered setting up a three-member committee to probe the incident and submit a report in a week.

The Lucknow administration, meanwhile, ordered lodging of a case against the builder and owners of the multi-storey building in Hazratganj area, a government statement issued here said on Wednesday.

A senior official said teams from the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and other agencies, which have been on the rescue job since last evening, managed to rescue a woman this morning.

She has been rushed to the civil hospital.

A government spokesman the three-member team constituted by the chief minister comprises Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Roshan Jacob, Joint Commissioner of Police Piyush Mordia and Public Works Department chief engineer.

This committe will identify those responsible for the incident and submit its report in a week's time, the spokesman said.

Jacob directed Lucknow Development Authority officials to take action against building owners Mohammad Tareef, Nawazish Shahid as well as Yazdan builders. he ordered lodging a case against them.

The DC has also ordered that other buildings constructed by Yazdan builder in Lucknow city should be identified and inspected. If they are found illegal or of poor quality, they should be demolished, he said. Earlier in the day, District Magistrate Lucknow District Magistrate Suryapal Gangwar said 14 people were pulled out from the debris of the 'Alaya Apartment', and three more -- two of whom are said to be together -- were trapped inside.

Of the three, security agencies rescued the woman this morning.

Meanwhile, a doctor attending to the patients admitted in the Civil Hospital said they have sustained external injuries and are in a state of shock. CT scan and X-rays have been done and there is no major injury seen in any of them. The team of specialists are present, he said.

There are two other patients admitted to the Trauma centre of the King George's Medical University, he added.

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted the remote mountainous districts in western Nepal on Tuesday, killing one person and damaging dozens of houses in the region, Nepalese officials had said. Meteorological department sources here, when contacted, said that the depth of the earthquake was 10 kilometres, and its distance was 294 kilometres NNE (North North-East) from Lucknow.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Adityanath is keeping a watch on the rescue operations, a government spokesman said According to the Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak, all the hospitals in the district are on alert. There were 12 flats in the four-storey building, of which nine were occupied, he said.

One of those admitted since last night has been discharged and the others are fine, Pathak said. ''Our prime concern, as of now, is to ensure that all the victims are rescued and given proper medical attention,'' Pathak said, adding that stern action will be taken against all those who are found responsible for the incident.

Officials warn of 'strict action' against builder

While the reason for the collapse of the residential building - Aliyah Apartment - in Hazratganj area could not be ascertained immediately, preliminary reports indicate that some construction work was going on at the building's parking lot.

According to reports, the builder was allegedly constructing the basement by breaking some columns of the building.

Lucknow divisional commissioner (Ms) Roshan Jacob said that the building was illegal and its "map was not passed". "Currently we are focused on rescue, and relief ops. But action...will be taken against the builder," Jacob added.