5 killed in Kanpur building collapse; FIR lodged against SP leader, contractor

Jajmau (Kanpur): The Uttar Pradesh Police has registered a FIR against Samajwadi Party leader Mehtab Alam, the owner of the under-construction building which collapsed here on Wednesday.

Besides Khan, a FIR has also been registered against a local contractor post the untoward incident in which at least five labourers lost their lives and several others sustained injuries.

The rescue operations are being carried out by the NDRF teams. Army troops have also been pressed into service to ensure that those trapped are rescued at the earliest.

NDRF Commandant Alok Kumar Singh said that they are waiting for crushers to speed up the evacuation process.

"We have got information that around 30 more people might still be trapped. We cannot use dossiers as there may be a probability that some victims might still be stuck inside," Singh told ANI.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh offered his condolences on Wednesday to those who lost their loved ones in the Kanpur building collapse and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

The city hospitals have been put on alert. As per latest reports, a total of 18 people have been rescued so far. The toll is likely to go up.