Four members of a family, including three sisters aged 16, 12 and seven, were killed and their 19-year-old sister critically injured after their mud house collapsed amid rain in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur district’s Hirni village on Sunday morning, police said.
Hearing the sound of the collapse, villagers rushed to the spot and began rescue efforts. Police and administration officials were also informed. After nearly two hours of efforts, the five were pulled out of the debris and taken to the Patara community health centre (CHC). Mukesh’s cousin Tej Bahadur Singh alleged that the family repeatedly tried calling the Sāḍh police after the house collapsed, but their calls were initially not answered. He claimed police arrived late, forcing villagers to begin the rescue operation themselves. The family also alleged that doctors were not available at the CHC when the injured were brought there, resulting in a delay in treatment. They demanded an impartial inquiry into the incident and action against those found responsible.
Police identified the deceased as Mukesh (45), a daily-wage labourer, and his daughters. Mukesh’s elder daughter Kajal (19) is undergoing treatment at Halet Hospital in Kanpur. The incident occurred around 9.30am when all five family members were inside the house.
The structure had weakened due to continuous rainfall over the past several days and suddenly collapsed, trapping them under the debris, according to villagers.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to the bereaved family members. He directed officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured and instructed them to provide all possible assistance to the family of the deceased. The chief minister also wished Kajal a speedy recovery.
