Uttar Pradesh: 2 die in Lucknow building collapse; ex-SP leader’s son held

Lucknow: Two women died and several people sustained injuries in a multi-storey building collapse in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The incident occurred in posh Hazratganj on Tuesday evening where part of a residential Allaya apartment collapsed. The rescue operation has been carried out for the last 17 hours. So far, 15 people have been pulled out of the debris. It is feared that still more people could be trapped.  

The police lodged an FIR against three builders, who had constructed the apartment with one of them being arrested so far. Officials said there was permission for the construction of two floors only while the builder had constructed five floors illegally.

Among the deceased are the mother and wife of national spokesperson of Samajwadi Party, Abbas Haider, who owned two flats in the Allaya apartment. His mother Begum Haider was pulled out dead while wife Uzma Talha, succumbed to injuries in the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Uzma Talha was a journalist working with a prominent English daily.

According to the police, the Allaya Apartment was constructed on the land owned by Nawazish Manzoor, former SP Minister Shahid Manzoor's son, after an agreement with Yazdan Builders in 2009. The Lucknow Development Authority had approved the maps and plans for the construction of two floors only while the builder had illegally constructed flats up to four and a penthouse was also erected. The Lucknow police arrested Nawazish Manzoor from Meerut late on Tuesday night while a search is on to nab others.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath constituted a three-member committee to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report within a week. 

A spokesperson said the three-member team comprises Lucknow divisional commissioner, joint commissioner of police and PWD chief engineer. UP DGP DS Chauhan said rescue operation will tke more time to get over.