Noida wall collapse: 18-year-old Army aspirant among 4 dead

Noida: In a tragic incident, four labourers, including two minors, were killed while another has been injured after a dilapidated boundary wall collapsed on them at Jal Vayu Vihar in Noida's Sector 21 on Tuesday morning.

Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that a drain adjacent to the wall was being repaired by JCB machines and labourers were working at the site. The Noida Authority has hired a contractual company to perform the task.

"The boundary wall collapsed on the labourers and 12 of them were trapped under the debris. Other labourers present at the site immediately started rescue work and alerted the police. The cops along with the NDRF teams rescued 12 persons and they were rushed to hospital where four labourers succumbed to injuries while one has been admitted for treatment," said Ashutosh Dwivedi, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Noida.

According to police officials, the deceased have been identified as Amit Yadav (17), Pushpendra (25) and Pannalal (25), all from Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh and Dharamveer (15), from Sambhal district.

The injured was identified as Pappu Singh (25) of Budaun. He is undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

Following the incident, Noida Authority Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ritu Maheshwari, Police Commissioner Alok Singh and District Magistrate Suhas LY reached the spot.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also expressed grief over the incident and directed officials to perform relief work on a war footing. Financial aid worth Rs 5 lakh has also been promised to the kin of deceased persons. While speaking to the media, Maheshwari said that an inquiry has been set up into the matter. "The wall which has collapsed belongs to the society and was in a dilapidated condition. We have set up a team to investigate the matter and find out who is responsible for the incident. A report will be submitted in the next 15 days and strict action will be taken up against those found responsible for the incident," said Maheshwari.

Police officials said they have registered an FIR against two persons, identified as Gul Mohammad and Sunder Yadav under IPC Sections 304, 337, 338 and 14 (1) of the Child Labour Abolition Act at Sector 20 police station of Noida.

"A labour contractor Gul Mohammad and teams are conducting raids to arrest Yadav who is on the run at the moment. Further investigation into the matter is underway and strict action will be taken against those who are responsible for the incident," ADCP Ashutosh Dwivedi informed.

Meanwhile, Amit dreamt of donning Army fatigues and was preparing for the next recruitment process while pursuing his college education and also working as a labourer.

On Tuesday, those dreams came crashing down. Amit's uncle Vinod, who was also present at the spot, said he was his family's sole breadwinner.

"Amit's father is a farmer and his mother a housewife. He enrolled himself in a bachelor's programme in the Ujhani area in the Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh two days ago and came here for work," Vinod said.

He was passionate about the Army and was preparing for the upcoming recruitment. Running every morning was part of his routine, Vinod said.

"I was also working at the spot when the incident happened. The contractors did not provide any safety gear," he said.

Amit's family members are now travelling to the national Capital to take his body to their native place for the funeral.