Seven killed as mound of soil collapses at construction site, 4 hurt; FIR lodged

GURUGRAM: Seven labourers were killed and four others, including three Nepalese, were injured when a mound of soil collapsed on them at a construction site here, police said on Tuesday, adding that an FIR has been registered.

The district administration set up an inquiry committee to investigate the matter.

The family of the deceased has alleged that the labourers were not provided with adequate safety measures at the construction site.

The incident occurred on Monday evening at the Signature Global Society in Gurugram’s Sidhrawali area, they added.

DSP Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, Yogesh, told reporters that construction work of a Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) was ongoing when a mound of soil suddenly collapsed, and some labourers (around 12-15) got trapped under the debris.

Upon receiving information, a police team from the Bilaspur Police Station, Gurugram, along with State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel reached the site and rescued the labourers.

They rushed them to a nearby hospital at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, where seven of them were declared dead, the officials said. Postmortem examination of the deceased will be conducted in Gurugram,

the DSP said.

It appears that they died due to asphyxiation, officials said. A Gurugram police spokesperson said that an FIR in connection with the incident has been registered under BNS sections 105 (deals with punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 125 (act endangering life or personal

safety of others).

Talking to the media in Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi, a kin of one of the deceased workers said the labourers were working several feet below when the mound of soil collapsed on them.

A kin of the deceased has also demanded Rs 50 lakh as compensation. An injured worker said that the mound of soil suddenly collapsed on them, and they got buried under the debris.

At least two workers at the site said they had a miraculous escape, as shortly before the incident, they were sent to procure some material.

Rakesh, a labourer from Jharkhand, said he was sent to a store to get some material.

Six victims were from Jharkhand and one from Rajasthan; three injured are Nepalese. Authorities ordered an inquiry and formed a committee to investigate the incident.