In a tragic incident early this morning, two dilapidated houses near the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi collapsed, resulting in one death and eight rescues. The collapse occurred in the Khoya Gali Chowk area.
Initially, nine individuals, including a woman police constable, were trapped under the rubble. The National Disaster Response Force or NDRF successfully rescued the constable and the other trapped individuals. The injured were transported to a nearby hospital; the constable is reported to be stable, while the deceased was identified as a woman who was taken to Kabir Chaura Hospital.
Varanasi Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal reported, “The rescue operation is nearing completion. All nine individuals trapped have been rescued and sent to the hospital. A woman constable who was on duty here has been injured but is out of danger. Unfortunately, a woman admitted at Kabir Chaura Hospital has been declared dead.”
NDRF DIG MK Sharma stated that the rescue operation, which lasted approximately four hours, is concluding with a final search of the area. The focus will soon shift to clearing the debris and restoring essential services such as water and electricity.
According to Varanasi Divisional Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma, the collapsed houses were approximately 70 years old. He also clarified that no permission from the Kashi Vishwanath temple administration is required for construction or restoration work outside the temple premises. “The temple’s construction was completed two and a half years ago, and any work outside the temple area does not need their approval,” Sharma added.
