Five members of a family, including four children, were killed after a mud house caved in under the impact of continuous rainfall in Muzaffarnagar district on Sunday night, officials said. Two young sisters survived the tragedy with injuries and are undergoing treatment.
Latest Update
Villagers immediately launched rescue operations before police and fire brigade teams reached the spot. An excavator was deployed to clear the debris. The seven trapped family members were pulled out and taken to Budhana community health centre, where doctors declared five of them dead. The two injured girls were later referred to the district hospital for specialised treatment.
Arun Saini, an eyewitness, said continuous rainfall over the past several days had weakened the structure of the mud house, leading to its collapse.
“We heard a loud crash while standing outside our house and rushed to the spot. Villagers began removing the debris before the police and administration arrived. The government should identify such dilapidated mud houses and help poor families build permanent homes so that tragedies like this can be prevented,” Saini said.
He added that rainwater regularly accumulates up to knee level in the locality during the monsoon, making movement difficult for residents and increasing the vulnerability of old structures.
Later, Uttar Pradesh minister Kapil Dev Agarwal visited the district hospital to meet the injured children. He reviewed their treatment with doctors and assured the bereaved family that the state government would provide all possible assistance.
Details
The incident occurred in Habibpur village under Phugana police station limits, about 45 km from the district headquarters.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives and directed district officials to ensure no negligence in relief and rescue operations.
Divisional commissioner Rupesh Kumar announced that the next of kin of each deceased victim would receive ₹5 lakh as ex gratia assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Sanjeev Kumar Verma, the senior superintendent of police (SSP), said 10 members of the family lived in the house. Three of them were outside when the structure collapsed, while seven were trapped inside.
“All seven were rescued and taken to Budhana CHC. Five succumbed to their injuries during treatment. Islamuddin’s wife and two family members are safe, while the two injured children have been shifted to the district hospital for better medical care,” Verma said.
The SSP added that village heads have been instructed to identify dilapidated houses and ensure that residents living in structures at risk of collapse are shifted to safer locations during the monsoon.
The victims were identified as Islamuddin (60) and his children Rukhsar (10), Alseeba (4), Ahad (5), and Zeeshan (1). Two daughters, Rukaiya (8) and Samaiya (7), were rescued alive and shifted to the district hospital for treatment.
According to officials, Islamuddin, a daily wage labourer, lived in a mud-and-brick house with a traditional earthen roof. At the time of the incident, he was resting inside while his children were playing nearby. His wife and two other family members were outside the house when the roof suddenly gave way, burying everyone inside under the debris.
