Chandigarh: Labourer killed as soil mound collapses at PEC

Two workers, Haru, 30, and Shivnath, 25, were rescued by their colleagues, who were present at the site; however the third labourer, Akalu, was buried under the soil and remained trapped for a longer duration and died, despite efforts to extricate him

A 50-year-old labourer died and two others were injured at Punjab Engineering College (PEC) on Monday evening after being trapped under a mound of soil while installing drainage pipes at the new Kurukshetra Hostel construction site.

The rescue operation was carried out swiftly by fellow workers, but Akalu succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead at the hospital. (iStock)

The workers, hailing from West Bengal’s Malda district, were part of a team working on the final stages of drainage installation. Two workers, Haru, 30, and Shivnath, 25, were rescued by their colleagues, who were present at the site. However the third labourer, Akalu, was buried under the soil and remained trapped for a longer duration and died, despite efforts to extricate him.

The incident occurred while the workers were attempting to remove a thick plastic rope-like object used to help position the drainage pipes. They were pulling the rope when a large chunk of soil unexpectedly collapsed on them. Haru and Shivnath managed to shout for help and attempt to escape, but Akalu was trapped beneath the heap.

The rescue operation was carried out swiftly by fellow workers, but Akalu succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead at the hospital.

The construction work at the site has been ongoing for approximately one year and a half. The drainage pipe installation was the final phase of the project. As per police, the workers were using an extractor machine to position the pipes when the soil collapsed.

The Sector 11 police station has secured the deceased’s body. DSP central Udaypal Singh confirmed that the family had been informed. No complaints had been received so far, he added.