NEW DELHI, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in a roof collapse at a crematorium in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday rose to 23, and nearly 20 others were injured, some of them seriously, local police confirmed with Xinhua over the phone.
The accident took place when the roof of a recently constructed structure collapsed at a crematorium in the state's Muradnagar area of Ghaziabad district, near Delhi.
"The structure was constructed nearly three months ago. It seems inferior quality of construction material was used in building it," India Today TV quoted a local man as saying.
The victims were attending the last rites of a dead man when the structure came crashing on them. Most of the dead belonged to the family of the dead man.
The roof reportedly collapsed amidst heavy rains during the day.
Rescue work has completed, and the injured were admitted to a local government hospital.
State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a compensation of 200,000 Indian Rupees (about 2,730 U.S. dollars) to the families of each of the deceased. He also directed the local administration officials to prepare a detailed report on the reasons of the accident.
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the mishap, and prayed for a speedy recovery of the injured.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
