Lucknow building collapse: SP leader's wife, mother die as 2 remain feared trapped; rescue work underway

Two women reportedly died on Wednesday among those who were trapped under the debris of the multi-story building that collapsed in Lucknow's Hazratganj. Following their rescue, the women reportedly died from their wounds. The deceased were identified as Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abbas Haider’s wife Uzma Haider and mother Begum Haider.

Following a nightlong search and rescue effort, 87-year-old Begum Haider, was pulled from the rubble on Wednesday morning but later passed away in the hospital. According to State Director General of Police D S Chouhan, she appeared to have internal wounds. According to PTI, Health Minister Brajesh Pathak confirmed that 30-year-old Uzma Haider passed away at the civil hospital.

Shahid Manzoor, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, gave the land to a builder, who then built the building, known as the Alaya Apartments. Arman Khan and Ravidas Mehrotra, both SP MLAs, visited the scene and informed the media that the guilty should face harsh punishment.

"Digging was going on in the basement. A probe should be initiated and strict action should be taken against the guilty. It's a very serious matter and those who played with lives of people should face action," SP MLA Mehrotra said. When it was brought up that his party leader owned the land on which the apartment was built, Mehrotra responded, "This is not a matter of party and strict action should be taken."

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Many were rescued

According to a senior official, 15 people have so far been recovered from the rubble and at least two more are still thought to be trapped. The formation of a three-person committee to investigate the incident and deliver a report within a week was mandated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

14 people were rescued from the rubble of the Alaya Apartment, according to District Magistrate Suryapal Gangwar of Lucknow earlier in the day, and three more people, two of whom are reportedly together, were trapped inside. Security personnel rescued one of the three this morning.

SP leader's son arrested

According to a report from Meerut, Nawazish, the son of former minister and SP MLA Shahid Manzoor, has been detained by police for questioning in relation to the collapse of the five-storey Alaya Apartment. Rohit Singh Sajwan, the SSP for Meerut, reported that Nawazish had been brought to Lucknow for questioning.

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"All we know is that the five-storey Alaya Apartment that has collapsed in Lucknow is said to have been sold by him," Sajwan said. The Lucknow Development Authority has been ordered to take legal action against building owners Mohammad Tareef, Nawazish Shahid, and Yazdan Builders, according to Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Roshan Jacob.

Additionally, the DC has mandated that all additional buildings built by Yazdan Builders in Lucknow City be recognised and examined. He argued that they ought to be torn down if they are discovered to be illegal or of poor quality.

(With inputs from PTI)