2 killed as lodge collapses in MP, NDRF continues search as several feared trapped

Anuppur: Two people were killed after a four-storey lodge in Madhya Pradesh’s Anuppur district collapsed on Saturday. Police on Sunday said that NDRF teams are continuing their operation to rescue those trapped under the debris.

‘Aggarwal Lodge', a building located near a bus stand in Kotma town, collapsed around 5.30 pm on Saturday, trapping several people in the vicinity, reported PTI.

An official said the death toll has now risen to two, and five others are injured, of whom two are in a critical condition and have been sent to Shahdol for treatment.

The deceased were identified as Hanuman Deen Yadav (55) and Ramkripal Yadav (50), Anuppur Superintendent of Police Moti Ur Rahman said.

He said that the rescue teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), conducted an overnight operation, and a search is underway for others trapped in the debris. The ongoing construction work near the 10-year-old building is suspected to have contributed to the collapse, the SP said.

Anuppur Collector Harshal Pancholi said that five people were extricated from the debris, of which two have died.

According to eyewitnesses, a loud explosion sounded as the building collapsed, sending a cloud of dust engulfing the area. The bus stand area was teeming with commuters at the time of the incident, and construction work was underway on a nearby plot of land, they said.

Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister and Minister in-charge of Anuppur district, Dilip Ahirwar, and Minister of Cottage and Village Industries, Dilip Jaiswal, visited the site late on Saturday night, along with senior officials, and supervised the relief and rescue operations.

Speaking to reporters, Ahirwar assured that every aspect of the accident would be investigated and action would be taken against those responsible. He said that the state government's priority is to safely rescue those trapped in the debris and provide them with proper treatment.