Five members of a family, including three children, were killed when the roof of a dilapidated house caved in the Alambagh area of the state capital Lucknow on Saturday, police sources said here.

Police sources said the incident took place in the railway colony in Anand Nagar locality when the roof of the house collapsed in the early hours between 4 am and 5 am.

"Five members of a family, including Satish Chandra (40), his wife Sarojini Devi (35), sons Harshit (13), Ansh (5), and daughter Harshita (10), were buried under the debris," they said.

Police sources said senior officers, along with force, fire tenders, and the SDRF team, reached the spot and launched a rescue operation.

"The injured were pulled out of the debris and were taken to the hospital, where doctors declared them dead," they said.

Police sources said the house belonged to a retired railway employee, and his family was residing there after his death. "According to the railway officials, the house was declared abandoned and notice was served to vacate it," they said.

(With UNI inputs)