Prayagraj building collapse: PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh compensation

A part of a cold storage facility collapsed in Prayagraj, injuring at least eight people. PM Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Rescue operations are underway amid an ammonia gas leak.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced a financial compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for people injured after a part of the cold storage facility in Prayagraj's Phaphamau area collapsed. According to Prayagraj DM Manish Kumar Verma, today, around eight people were injured and taken to the hospital after a part of the building collapsed.

PM Modi expressed grief over the incident and prayed for the recovery of the injured. PMO wrote on X, "Deeply saddened by the mishap due to the collapse of a building in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families in this difficult hour. May those injured recover at the earliest. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000: PM."

Official Response and Investigation

Earlier today, Prayagraj DM Manish Kumar Verma told reporters, "Around 8 people have been taken to the hospital. Relief and rescue work are underway. The situation will become clearer in the next few days as to how many people are injured and how many have escaped safely. We are preparing a list of all of them. A magisterial inquiry will be conducted to investigate this."

Eyewitness Account

"The people from Bihar work here. The incident happened about 2 PM, I have taken out a few people (out of the rubble), taken out 5 dead bodies myself. The wall had collapsed. Loading, unloading was happening, and the person was sitting and eating food when the wall collapsed. It was a potato facility, everything is finished", said one of the witnesses at the site of the incident.

Rescue Operations and Gas Leak

Chief Fire Officer Chandra Mohan Sharma also said that after the incident there was a heavy presence of Ammonia gas in the area. The officials had rescued atleast 10 people from the rubble, with all of them transported to the hospital for treatment.

"The incident happened around 2 PM, the cold storage wall had collapsed....as soon as I reached the place, there was a lot of ammonia gas present which is used in cold storage. Because of that we started rescue, along with the fumes being kept under control. Till now rescue efforts are ongoing. Atleast 10 were taken out of the rubble, and all of them have been taken to the hospital," said the chief fire officer.

Further details on the incident are awaited. (ANI)

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