Varanasi: A woman was killed and five others injured after two houses, in a dilapidated condition, collapsed near the iconic Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi on Tuesday morning. Authorities launched a rescue operation to remove those trapped under the debris and rushed them to a hospital.
The incident took place in the Khoya Gali Chowk area when the houses, reportedly 70 years old, collapsed in the morning, trapping a total of nine people of a family, Varanasi Police Commissioner Mohit Aggarwal said.
He added that a woman police constable was also injured in the collapse as she was on duty in the area. The injured were admitted to the Benaras Hindu University (BHU) trauma centre. One woman among the injured succumbed at the Kabir Chaura Hospital.
Police said the rescue operations were in the final leg and now, the debris was being cleared. Meanwhile, Varanasi Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma said a total of 9 people were trapped after the collapse incident, out of which two came out on their own and 7 others were rescued by the police and National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) personnel.
The rescuers are now undertaking the task of clearing the area and restoring the electricity and water supply of the houses, of which the upper floors had collapsed.