Seventeen people have died and several others were injured after an under-construction roof collapsed at a crematorium in the Ghaziabad district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The incident took place on Sunday afternoon and is just 53 kilometres away from India's capital, New Delhi.
According to police in Ghaziabad, people had come to the creamtorium to perform final rites for a 65-year-old man, identified as Jai Ram Kumar, when the incident took place.
"Around 30-35 people are expected to be under the rubble. So far, around 20 trapped people have been rescued and immediately admitted to a hospital", a Ghaziabad police official told Sputnik. The source confirmed 17 fatalities so far.
A team of police and National Disaster Response Force are carrying out the rescue operation.
Atleast 8 dead, several injured after under construction ceiling collapsed at crematorium in #Muradnagar , #Ghaziabad.
— Advitya (@advityabahl) January 3, 2021
Rescue operation underway. @NDRFHQ @myogioffice @ghaziabadpolice pic.twitter.com/rcI1CAgs73
Search & Rescue operation by @8Ndrf at Muradnagar Distt Ghaziabad...#rescueoperationcontinue#आपदासेवासदैव@PKTiwary14 @dm_ghaziabad @ghaziabadpolice pic.twitter.com/kzZ7M2EEHm
— Vasant pawade (@VasantPawade) January 3, 2021
Uttar Pradesh's state chief has promised to provide all possible assistance to those affected by the incident.
