UP: A tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad’s Ankur Vihar area when the roof of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) office collapsed during a severe storm and heavy rainfall, leading to the death of a 58-year-old sub-inspector. The deceased, Veerendra Mishra, hailed from Etawah and had begun his career as a constable in the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Mishra was working late on Saturday night to complete some pending work and had decided to sleep at the office. Around 2 am, the roof of the room collapsed due to the storm, fatally injuring him. ACP Ajay Kumar Singh confirmed the incident and added that the building was previously used as a police chowki and had been converted into the ACP office due to lack of adequate space, according to an Aaj Tak report. A video of the damaged structure has surfaced on the internet.
The Ankur Vihar police station and its circle were approved by the Uttar Pradesh government in March 2023, and the office had been functioning from the Indirapuri chowki under Loni circle before the new administrative formation. Following the collapse, police reached the site after receiving information. When Mishra could not be reached via phone and the door to the room was found open, a search was initiated. His body was discovered buried under the debris and was sent for postmortem. Authorities have begun an investigation into the structural collapse.
Severe Weather Conditions In Delhi & NCR
Severe weather conditions had been predicted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which had issued a storm warning for Delhi and its surrounding areas on Saturday. As forecasted, dust storms accompanied by thunder and heavy rainfall struck the region, with wind speeds reaching up to 70 km/h. Trees were uprooted, and branches fell in several areas including Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Greater Noida. In Delhi, intense rainfall caused major waterlogging in several places such as Moti Bagh, Minto Road, and near Terminal 1 of the Delhi Airport.
Officials have urged residents to stay alert and follow safety advisories as unstable weather continues to affect the region. This was the second major storm within a week, with the previous one recorded on May 21, which brought wind speeds ranging between 50–70 km/h. Weather experts attribute these storms to western disturbances and Kalbaisakhi – a pre-monsoon phenomenon known for sudden, intense thunderstorms typically occurring in Eastern India during April and May. These storms, also known as Nor’westers, often bring strong winds and heavy rains, as witnessed in Delhi-NCR on Sunday night.
