28 workers pulled out safely as rescue operation at Kannauj Railway station concludes

NER officials have announced ex gratia for the injured workers- Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries and up to Rs 2.5 lakh for those with serious injuries.

After a 16-hour long rescue operation at the Kannauj Railway station, 28 workers are pulled out safely. All the rescued workers have been admitted to a hospital and no casualties are reported. The shuttering of the under-construction building on the station premises had collapsed Saturday afternoon, trapping over two dozen workers under the rubble. 

Rescue operation concludes

The rescue teams, including personnel from the national and state disaster response force and the railways, worked through the night amid dense fog and cold to clear the debris and pull out the trapped workers safely. District Magistrate Shubhrant Kumar Shukl visited the site early on Sunday. NER will give  Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries and up to Rs 2.5 lakh for those with serious injuries.

CCTV captured the tragic incident 

CCTV footage from the site has surfaced, showing a labourer attempting to fix the shuttering (a temporary structure used to support concrete) when the roof collapses. The footage suggests that a beam carried by the worker hit the shuttering, causing it to slip and ultimately collapse.

The construction was being carried out as part of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), aimed at enhancing the infrastructure of Kannauj Railway Station.

Ashwini Vaishnaw orders inquiry

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday that an inquiry has been initiated into the collapse. “A very tragic incident has occurred, and immediate action has been taken. An inquiry committee has also been set up there,” said Vaishnaw. 

The North Eastern Railway (NER) on Saturday formed a three-member committee to investigate the cause of the collapse. The committee will include the Chief Engineer for Planning and Design, the Additional Divisional Railway Manager (Izzatnagar) and the Chief Security Commissioner of the Railway Protection Force.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to ensure safe recovery of those trapped inside. eams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed to rescue the workers.