19 dead as roof collapses at cremation ground

At least 19 people died when a roof of a shelter at a cremation facility in northern India collapsed on Sunday, police said. The roof at the site, in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district, came down when people had taken shelter beneath the structure to get out of the rain. Many victims were relatives of a local resident whose last rites were being conducted at the time, according to reports. “The roof at the cremation compound, over some 30 metres long, collapsed suddenly and 38 people were trapped. Nineteen people were killed on the scene or while being taken to two hospitals nearby,” area police chief Iraj Raja said. — dpa