One worker suffocates after roof collapses at Paras Steel in Gulab Vatika
Ghaziabad (UP) — A labourer died and two others were injured when the roof of a hardware shop collapsed on Monday evening in the Loni Border area of Ghaziabad, police said. The accident occurred at Paras Steel in the iron market at Gulab Vatika at about 4–5 pm, according to law-enforcement officials.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ankur Vihar) Amardeep Kumar Maurya said three workers were engaged in work in the rear portion of the first-floor shop when the structure suddenly gave way, burying them beneath stored material and debris. Two of the workers — identified as Jatin and Arjun — were pulled out shortly afterwards with minor injuries and taken for treatment.
The third worker, named Mukesh and reported to be a resident of Barabanki, was trapped deep under the rubble. A coordinated rescue involving the police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the city fire department and municipal teams continued for around three hours before Mukesh was extricated and rushed to hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. Police said, prima facie, suffocation appeared to be the cause of death.
"Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the incident and directed officials to expedite relief and rescue operations and provide all possible assistance to affected families," the Chief Minister's Office in Lucknow said.
Maurya said the shop is owned by Abhishek Jain, a resident of Delhi’s Jyoti Nagar, and that a family member, Kunal Jain, was present at the counter when the collapse occurred. The police noted that the shop occupied the first floor while material from shops two to three floors above had been stored on the structure.
Initial observations by police and rescue officials indicated structural shortcomings, including "allegedly inadequate pillars and no strong concrete slab," with the roof comprising beams and slabs rather than a reinforced concrete deck. Some construction activity was reportedly underway on the third floor at the time of the incident, the Assistant Commissioner said. Teams have cordoned off the area and continued clearing debris using machinery.
Rescue timeline and agencies
- Collapse occurred at about 4–5 pm at Paras Steel, Gulab Vatika iron market.
- Immediate response by local police and on-site personnel; SDRF, fire department and municipal teams joined rescue efforts.
- Two workers (Jatin and Arjun) rescued with minor injuries; third worker (Mukesh) extricated after roughly three hours and later declared dead in hospital.
- Area cordoned off; debris being cleared with machinery while investigation continues.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Paras Steel, Gulab Vatika iron market, Loni Border, Ghaziabad |
| Time | About 4–5 pm (Monday) |
| Casualties | 1 dead (Mukesh, resident of Barabanki); 2 injured (Jatin, Arjun) |
| Agencies involved | Ghaziabad police (Ankur Vihar ACP), SDRF, fire department, municipal teams |
Police said an inquiry has been launched into the circumstances of the collapse and the structural condition of the building. Officials highlighted that material from upper floors had been stored on the first-floor shop, potentially overloading the structure. The investigation will determine whether construction activity on the third floor and the building's structural integrity contributed to the incident.
The Chief Minister’s Office statement underlines immediate administrative attention from Lucknow, directing local officials to speed up rescue, relief and assistance to affected families. The outcome of the probe and any subsequent legal or regulatory action will be closely watched in Ghaziabad, where market-area construction and the storage of heavy material on older structures are recurrent safety concerns.
Further updates will follow as police complete their investigation and authorities release details on relief measures for the victims' families.
