An unlikely disaster struck in the northern Indian city of Sambhal on Thursday, March 16: at least fourteen people were killed after being buried under a huge pile of potatoes, reports The Independent.
It was 11:30 am when the roof of a warehouse visibly collapsed, taking many sacks of potatoes with it. The set collapsed on workers below. In all, at least twenty-four people were trapped, ten of whom were rescued.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a team specializing in drama management, has been ordered by Narendra Modi’s government to take matters into its own hands without delay. The responsible people then tried to clear away the piles of concrete and potatoes that had formed after the roof collapsed as quickly as possible, unfortunately without being able to save everyone present at the time of the collapse.
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According to police spokesmen, the rescue operations are almost complete, as reported by the Indian daily The Tribune. The balance sheet is therefore unlikely to increase any further, even if great caution is required as long as the figures are not yet finally known.
Yogi Adityanath, government official of the state of Uttar Pradesh, where the city of Sambhal is located, said the families of the injured would be compensated up to Rs.50,000 (US$600.00) and the families of the fourteen who died would receive Rs.200,000 (US$2,253). .
A complaint was also filed against the owner of the warehouse and two of his employees: Officially, the roof was renovated a few months ago, but apparently without complying with safety protocols. But here it is: The suspects are missing and currently wanted.