At least 18 people were killed and several are feared trapped under the debris of an under-construction flyover, which collapsed near a railway station in Varanasi on Tuesday. Several vehicles are still buried under the collapsed portion of the flyover. In the latest development, 18 dead bodies have been recovered so far and three people have been rescued safely. The death toll is likely to go up.
7 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) of over 300 personnel have been deployed for relief operations at the site.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for kin of those killed in the incident and Rs 2 lakh for those who have been injured. He has also set up a three-member committee to probe the flyover collapse.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief via twitter. PM Modi tweeted, “Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to the collapse of an under-construction flyover in Varanasi. I pray that the injured recover soon. Spoke to officials and asked them to ensure all possible support to those affected.”
In another tweet PM Modi added, “I spoke to UP CM Yogi Adityanath Ji regarding the situation due to the collapse of an under-construction flyover in Varanasi. The UP Government is monitoring the situation very closely and is working on the ground to assist the affected.”
According to a local police official, “Several people are still buried under the rubble.”
