NEW DELHI, March 14: Twenty-one Indian army applicants died on Thursday in Lucknow when they fell into an underground sewer after the ground collapsed, police said.

The victims were queuing to undergo physical fitness trials at a recruitment centre when the cave-in occurred.

“Thousands of people had turned up for recruitment and an underground septic drain collapsed,” Lucknow’s police chief said.

“Twenty-one of these boys have been killed,” he said. Three others were in serious condition and a number had minor injuries.

Rescuers using bulldozers and other heavy equipment pulled out many who were trapped.—Reuters