16 Dead As Under Construction Flyover Collapses In Varanasi; Yogi Adityanath Announces Ex-Gratia

16 people have reportedly been killed and several more are injured as an under-construction flyover in Varanasi collapsed today (15 May), crushing four four-wheelers, and auto and a mini-bus under it, ANI has reported.

Rescue work is still going on with five teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) having been rushed to the spot with full equipment to rescue the people still trapped under the debris. The death toll, however, is expected to rise further even as three people who were trapped under the collapsed structure were rescued.

Expressing grief about the incident, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh for those seriously injured in the incident.

Deputy CM K P Maurya and Varanasi South MLA Neelkanth Tiwari have also been rushed by the CM to the spot to speed up the rescue operation.

Many of those trapped are reportedly labourers who were working on the flyover. More than a dozen cranes have been pressed into service to remove the debris, as reported by Business Standard.

Students from the Benaras Hindu University (BHU) also reached the spot to help with the rescue effort and the critically injured are being taken to BHU trauma centre for emergency treatment.

PM Modi too expressed his sadness over the incident and has directed the UP administration to ensure that the situation is remedied soon.