This was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday ₹2 lakh ex gratia after reports suggested that a cold storage building had collapsed in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. According to a PTI report, four laborers died and at least 12 were injured in the incident.
PMO India announced the ex gratia in a post on X, writing: “Deeply saddened by the calamity caused by the building collapse in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families at this difficult time. May those injured get well soon.”
The PMO added that an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. They would get hurt ₹50,000.
Cold storage collapsed, ammonia leak reported
News agency PTI reported that a cold storage warehouse collapsed in Phaphamau area of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The incident triggered an ammonia gas leak, officials said.
At least 20 workers were feared trapped under the debris, according to The New Indian Express.
Kuldeep Gunawat, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Ganga Nagar), said the structure suddenly caved in and the workers were trapped under the debris. “All the injured workers were rescued and admitted to hospital,” he said.
Eight people were taken to hospital, the district judge says
Prayagraj DM Manish Kumar Verma informed reporters today that about eight people have been taken to hospital while rescue and relief work is on. He said authorities were compiling a list of those affected and that a clearer picture of the number of injured and those who were safe would emerge in the coming days. He also announced that a judicial inquiry would be launched into the incident, news agency ANI reported.
A rescue operation is underway; warehouse manager to act
Following the incident, an ammonia leak was reported at the facility, prompting an emergency response. The situation was brought under control by members of the HZS, teams of the city administration and the police were also deployed on the spot. Officials said steps were taken to stabilize the site and minimize any further danger.
The New Indian Express reported that the rescue operation was launched using five JCB machines as teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached the spot. At least nine people were rescued from the wreckage. Authorities have not yet officially confirmed the total number of victims.
Police also detained the manager of the facility along with several employees for questioning.
The witness recalls the horror
A witness at the spot said several workers from Bihar were present when the incident took place around 2 pm. He mentioned that he personally helped pull a few people out of the rubble. According to him, during loading and unloading, a wall of the potato warehouse collapsed and some workers were sitting and eating at that time. He added that the entire building is devastated.
Chief Fire Officer Chandra Mohan Sharma noted that there was a heavy presence of ammonia gas in the area after the incident.
