A night-time accident sent a wave of panic through Ambala city in Haryana. In the old vegetable market, close to Do Khamba Chowk, the awning of a years-old, dilapidated shop suddenly came crashing down. Within moments cries for help filled the air, and a large crowd of local residents gathered at the spot. The immediate fear was that people had been trapped beneath the fallen debris. As soon as word reached them, police and administration teams rushed to the scene and launched relief and rescue work. In all, three people were eventually pulled out from the rubble.
It Happened Too Fast for Anyone to React
According to eyewitnesses present at the time, everything unfolded so quickly that people standing nearby did not even get a chance to save themselves. In a single instant the shop's awning crashed to the ground, and reports spread that people working there had been buried under the debris. The sudden accident left the entire area gripped by fear, with local residents badly shaken.
Rescue Operation Carried Out at Full Speed
The moment the information came in, police, administration officials and the relief team reached the spot without delay and got down to the rescue operation. The work of clearing the debris was taken up on a war footing so that anyone trapped underneath could be brought out as quickly as possible. Amid the crowd that had gathered around, the rescue team kept working continuously to remove the rubble.
Two of the Three Safe, One Sent to Hospital
Sunita Dhaka, the in-charge of City Police Station, Ambala, said she had received information that the awning of an old shop in the old vegetable market had collapsed, with three people reported to be trapped beneath it. She said, “The rescue was carried out after reaching the spot. Two people were brought out safely, while the third person was pulled out and sent to the civil hospital for treatment. For now, the work of removing the debris is going on and the entire matter is being investigated.”
According to officials, the clearing of the debris is still under way, and efforts are on to determine exactly how the awning of this old shop came down. Questions are now being raised about the dilapidated condition of the building.
