Over 25 injured as balcony collapses in Hathin

More than 25 persons were reportedly injured, two to four of them seriously, when a balcony of a house in Mathepur village of Hathin subdivision collapsed during an election programme late on Wednesday evening. The injured included the son of an INLD-BSP candidate from Hathin segment in the district.

According to police sources, the incident took place around 8:45 pm when the INLD-BSP candidate, Tayyab Hussain Bhimsika, was to arrive in the village to address a public meeting. Several persons were reportedly standing on the balcony when it collapsed, resulting in injuries to those who had gathered to attend the meeting.

All the injured have been shifted to various hospitals in the region, the sources said.

While seven of the injured, who were taken to the Primary Health Centre at Hathin, were discharged after first aid, some others have been shifted to the Medical College and Hospital at Nalhar in Nuh district, they said. At least five of the injured are minors. The exact number of the injured is being verified, the sources added.

Meanwhile, the police have launched an investigation into the incident.