House Collapses After Powerful Explosion in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya; 5 Killed- Top Updates

Ayodhya: At least five people were killed, while several others were injured after a house collapsed following a powerful explosion in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya district. A house in Pagla Bhari village under

the Pura Kalandar police station area of Ayodhya collapsed on Thursday. Circle Officer (CO) Shailendra Singh told PTI that five people were killed in the incident, while several people were still feared trapped under the debris, and rescue operations were underway."Five people have died in the explosion, a few have been injured, and efforts are on to rescue those trapped. The cause of the blast is not yet clear," Singh told the news agency. Upon receiving information about the incident, the police, the fire department and the local administration teams rushed to the spot.Ayodhya SSP Gaurav Grover said that the owner of the house, which got demolished in the blast, was Pappu Gupta, a local resident. "We are collecting the evidences from the spot." Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the incident and expressed deep condolences over the loss of lives. The CM has directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment to the injured, the report said.

Nearby Houses Evacuated, Officials Appeal Residents To Stay Away

Rescue workers have been using excavators to clear the rubble, while nearby houses have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.Further, the officials have appealed to residents to stay away from the accident site to facilitate rescue efforts.

What Led To Ayodhya Building Explosion? Probe Underway

Senior police and administrative officers are supervising the operation and have begun an investigation to determine the cause of the explosion.District Magistrate Nikhil Tikaram Funde said that the forensic team is on the spot and investigating the incident, however, did not comment on the reason behind the blast.The deceased have not been identified yet, he said.

Similar Tragedy at Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave

In a similar incident in Delhi on Thursday, a man was killed after being buried under a pile of soil in a basement in Safdarjung Enclave. "We were informed of a wall collapse, and upon reaching there, we found that a pile of soil had fallen in the basement. There were 20 labourers working there. 5 people were buried under the pile of soil. We have taken two people to the Trauma Centre, and 3 people to another hospital. A 60-year-old man, Hari Mohan, died at the Trauma Centre," said Fire Officer Manoj Mahlawat.(With PTI Inputs)