Water tank collapse kills 5 labourers in Pune, injures 5

Pune: Five labourers were killed and five others suffered injuries after a makeshift water tank collapsed at a labour camp in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Thursday morning, the police said.

The incident took place in Bhosari area of Pimpri Chinchwad township when some labourers were taking bath under the water tank, they said.

“It seems a wall of the water tank exploded due to the water pressure, leading to the collapse of the tank,” Pimpri Chinchwad’s Additional Commissioner of Police Vasant Pardeshi said.

“Complete information will be gathered and action will be taken against the guilty… Prima facie, it seems that the killed labourers hail from outside the state. Identification of the labourers is being ascertained by police and further action will be taken by them”, he said.

The labourers who were below the water tank got trapped under the debris, he said.

“Three of them died on the spot while two others succumbed to the injuries at a hospital, where they were taken. Five others sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment,” another official said.

The site belongs to whom is being investigated and the process to register an offence has been initiated, he said.

Emergency services from the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and local police arrived at the scene shortly after receiving information about the incident around 8 am. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The Pimpri Chinchwad police are further investigating the matter.