1 dead, others trapped as unauthorised building falls

Greater Noida: A major accident struck Nagla Hukam Singh village on Wednesday morning when a three-storey illegal building collapsed during ongoing construction work. The village, which falls under the second phase of land acquisition for the Noida International Airport, witnessed chaos as dozens of labourers were buried under the debris.

According to locals, construction was being carried out at a rapid pace over the past few weeks, as villagers were anticipating displacement and higher compensation from the airport project. At the time of the accident, some labourers were working on the fourth floor, while others on the third floor were removing supports from a freshly cast concrete slab. Officials said the slab had not set properly, and once the temporary supports were removed, it gave way instantly. The collapse of the third-floor slab triggered the fall of the entire structure, bringing down the first and second floors as well.

Rescue operations began immediately after the incident. Police, district administration, NDRF and SDRF teams reached the spot and launched a coordinated effort to clear the debris. By noon, four labourers had been rescued, though their condition remained critical. One person, identified as 22-year-old Zeeshan, son of Zahid, was reportedly found dead. Officials feared that more workers could still be trapped underneath the rubble.

The district administration confirmed that land acquisition for 1,181 hectares across six villages—including Nagla Hukam Singh, Kuraib and Ranhera was formally completed earlier in the day. These villages are set to be vacated as part of Phase-2 of the airport expansion. Authorities noted that many residents had been rushing to erect illegal structures in hopes of securing higher compensation or rehabilitation benefits.

Rescue operations continued till late evening, with officials monitoring the situation closely.