Ghaziabad: At least 19 people were killed and 20 others injured as the roof of a cemetery in Muradnagar area here collapsed as they were sheltering under it amid heavy rains, officials said.

The incident was reported in the morning when around 50 people, who came for the last rites of a fruit-seller, took shelter under the recently-built structure to save themselves from getting drenched.

However, minutes later, the roof of the structure collapsed. Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) retrieved three bodies while the remaining were recovered by police and district administration during the rescue operation, officials told IANS.

After the NDRF teams called off the rescue operation, NDRF Deputy Commandant Rajkamal Malik said: "Two teams of 45 men each searched the whole site and now no one else is feared to be trapped inside."

Muradnagar SHO Inspector Amit Kumar said that 19 people have lost their lives while 20 received serious injuries. However, the official numbers will be announced by the District Magistrate.

The injured have been admitted to the various hospitals including district hospital of Ghaziabad the treatment, he added.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the incident and ordered the DM and SSP of the district to ensure the effective rescue of the victims.

IANS