8 OF A FAMILY DEAD IN GONDA BUILDING COLLAPSE

Yogi asks district magistrate to probe incident, submit report

Eight people of a family, including four children, were killed and seven others seriously injured in a double-storey building collapse that is suspected to have been triggered by an LPG cylinder blast in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district on Tuesday night.

Local police officials said the incident occurred at Thatherkapurwa locality under Wazirganj police station limits at around 10.30pm on Tuesday. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has asked district officials to probe the incident and submit a report to the state government.

PEOPLE TRAPPED UNDER THE DEBRIS WERE PULLED OUT AND RUSHED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WHERE EIGHT WERE DECLARED DEAD ON ARRIVAL

LUCKNOW: Eight people of a family, including four children aged between two and 14 years, were killed and seven others seriously injured in a doublestorey building collapse, triggered by a mysterious blast in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district late on Tuesday night, senior police officials said on Wednesday. Initial police investigation suggested the building collapsed after an LPG cylinder exploded in the house, but further probe is on to ascertain the exact cause.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the Gonda district magistrate to probe the incident and submit a report to the state government, according to an official statement. The statement also said the chief minister expressed grief over the deaths. He directed officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured and assistance to the families of the deceased.

Gonda superintendent of police (SP) Santosh Kumar Mishra said the incident occurred at Thatherkapurwa locality under Wazirganj police station limits at around 10.30pm on Tuesday.

He said the locals told the police that they came out of their houses after hearing a blast. People trapped under the debris were pulled out with the help of locals and rushed to a local hospital where eight were declared dead on arrival while seven others were undergoing treatment, he added.

He said the deceased were identified as Nishar Ahmad, 35, his wife Sayrunisha, 35, their three children aged 14, 12, and two years, Nishar’s sister Rubina Bano, 32, his younger brother Shamshad, 28, as well as Nishar’s elder brother Irshad’s 11-year-old son. Irshad was injured in the incident along with his father Noorul Hasan, 60, Nishar’s fourth child aged eight years, and other relatives, including Alisha, 32, Gulnaaz Bano, 22 and two children aged 12 and 11 years.

The SP said a team of forensic experts and bomb squad had been called to examine the spot thoroughly.

“Forensic teams are collecting samples from the site and a probe has been ordered into the incident,” the SP said.

Experts had been asked to give their report at the earliest to ascertain the reason for the blast, he said.