4 labourers dead, 12 injured in cold storage collapse in Prayagraj
Prayagraj (PTI): Four labourers were killed, and 12 were injured after being trapped under the debris following the collapse of a cold storage facility on Monday afternoon here, an official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the incident and have announced financial assistance to the injured and ex-gratia for the kin of the deceased.
District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma told PTI, "12 labourers were injured in the incident and are receiving treatment at SRN Hospital. Four labourers died."
He said that teams from the district administration, police, SDRF, and the fire brigade are engaged in relief and rescue operations, working to clear the debris from the site and search for any trapped individuals.
DCP (Ganga Nagar) Kuldeep Gunawat said that the cold storage facility, located in the Phaphamau police station area, suddenly crumbled and collapsed this afternoon. The incident triggered panic in the area as ammonia gas began leaking from the facility.
He said that fire brigade teams are also active at the scene, working to contain the gas leak.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced Rs 50,000 for the injured and an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased.
In the post, he said, "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.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a post on X in Hindi, said, "The loss of life resulting from the accident at the cold storage facility in the Prayagraj district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families."
"I have issued directives to provide financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident, and have instructed district administration officials to immediately send the injured to the hospital to ensure they receive proper medical treatment," he said.
According to a statement, he has also announced financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to the injured labourers.
Earlier, the District magistrate had said, "We received information between 1:30 pm and 2 pm today regarding the collapse of a cold storage facility in Phaphamau, following which senior officials, including myself and the Police Commissioner, reached the scene and initiated relief and rescue operations."
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Hearing in defamation case against Rahul Gandhi postponed till March 27
Sultanpur (UP) (PTI): Hearing in the defamation case involving Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, which was scheduled to take place on Monday at the MP-MLA Court in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur district, could not take place due to the non-appearance of the plaintiff Vijay Mishra.
The court will now hear this matter on March 27.
Santosh Kumar Pandey, the advocate of the plaintiff, on Monday said that he had submitted a formal application to the court during the previous hearing.
This application requested that the audio and video recordings of the statements made by Rahul Gandhi, which have been presented as evidence, be matched with Rahul Gandhi's authentic voice.
Due to Vijay Mishra's absence, the court has scheduled the next hearing for March 27, when the arguments in the case will be presented.
On February 20, Gandhi, the MP from Raebareli, had appeared before the court and recorded his statement, claiming the case was filed against him due to political vendetta. He had also told the court that the audio and video evidence submitted by the complainant was incorrect and said he would present his own evidence.
The case stems from Gandhi's alleged objectionable remarks against then BJP president Amit Shah during the 2018 Karnataka election campaign.
Following the remarks, Mishra, a resident of Hanumanganj under Kotwali Dehat police station area in Sultanpur, filed the defamation complaint.
In December 2023, the court had issued a warrant against Gandhi after he failed to appear before it. He later surrendered before the court in February 2024 and was granted bail on two surety bonds of Rs 25,000 each.
