Four people were killed and another 13 critically injured after a cold storage facility collapsed in Chandapur locality in Phaphamau region of Prayagraj following an alleged loud explosion on Monday afternoon, police said, adding that efforts were on to rescue the dozens feared buried under the debris.
Police said the facility’s manager was detained for questioning as part of the preliminary investigation. Following the incident, ammonia gas began leaking, and the fire brigade continued efforts to contain it till the last reports came in.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. Meanwhile, chief minister Yogi Adityanath also announced ₹2 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.
Deputy commissioner of police (Ganga Nagar) Kuldeep Singh Gunawat said teams from the district administration and police have been deployed at the site, while efforts are ongoing to prevent any further risk.
Owing to the ongoing rabi season, the three-decade-old building was operating at full capacity with potatoes. On Monday, around 110 workers were reported to have been working in the facility since morning. However, as the incident occurred during lunchtime, many workers were outside the facility, and the exact number of those inside the storage remains unclear, said officials.
According to some workers, around 30–40 people were inside the building at the time of the collapse, and most of them are feared to be trapped under the rubble.
Gunawat confirmed that the structure suddenly caved in around 2:30 pm, stating that personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the fire brigade swiftly reached the spot and launched a large-scale rescue operation.
The DCP said five JCB machines have been deployed to clear the debris, while the search for survivors is ongoing. He added that the area has been cordoned off, with additional police and administrative personnel deployed to maintain order as rescue operations continue.
Soon after the incident, senior officials, including district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma and police commissioner Joginder Kumar, along with other authorities, also reached the site.
A video from the site captured scenes of panic and chaos, with bystanders and workers seen carrying the injured away from the collapsed structure. The cold storage facility, spread across nearly 60 acres and employing over 100 people in the ongoing Kharif crop season, is reportedly owned by former Samajwadi Party MLA Ansar Ahmed.
Most of the workers employed at the facility hailed from Saharsa district in Bihar. According to one of the workers, against a capacity of 2 lakh sacks of potatoes, the cold storage had about 1.85 lakh sacks at the time of the disaster, while the remaining 15,000 sacks were to be moved inside by Monday evening.
Police have detained the manager of the cold storage for questioning as part of the preliminary investigation.
According to senior officials at the Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital, four workers died and the bodies were sent to the mortuary, while 13 others were in critical condition and undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
District Magistrate of Prayagraj, Manish Kumar Verma, said, “Our priority is rescue first; the cause of the mishap will be investigated later by a team of officials headed by additional district magistrate (ADM) (Finance and Revenue) Vinita Singh.”
Officials have been directed to submit a report within 48 hours, following which further action will be taken, he said, adding that no one found responsible for the incident will be spared. However, the exact cause of the collapse remains unclear.
Preliminary accounts from locals suggest that a loud explosion preceded the roof collapse of the facility. Authorities are yet to determine whether the blast was caused by a gas leak or any other factor, and a conclusive statement will be made only after the investigation report is submitted, the DM added.
The deceased have been identified as Jagdish (42), a resident of Malakaharhar in Phaphamau, Prayagraj; Jyotish Kumar (22), from Baliyar in Salkhua, Saharsa, Bihar; Sanoj alias Billar Chaudhary (36), a resident of Gauri Pipra in Salkhua, Saharsa, Bihar; and Masinder Kumar (20), son of Sakko Sada, from Baliyar in Salkhua, Saharsa, Bihar.
Local residents claimed that Manzoor Alam, son of former MLA and facility owner Ansar Ahmed, was present at the time of the mishap. “After the incident, he suddenly disappeared from the site,” a local alleged.
Meanwhile, anxious workers pelted stones at ambulances carrying the injured and deceased, attempting to stop the administration from taking the bodies away. They insisted that the bodies be handed over to them at the site, while only the injured should be taken to the hospital.
