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Ludhiana: Bihar labourer dies as factory roof slab collapses, four injured
Workers and local residents rushed to clear the debris, but by the time he was pulled out, he had succumbed to his injuries
A migrant labourer died and four others were injured after the roof slab of an under-construction factory collapsed in Bhagat Singh Nagar on Tuesday evening. The accident occurred moments after the third-floor slab was cast, leaving workers trapped under a tangle of iron framework and concrete debris.
The deceased was identified as Ram Ishwar Rai, 40, a migrant from Bihar, who lived in Guru Nagar Colony in the city.
The collapse occurred around 5.30 pm when workers had just finished casting the roof slab.
According to eyewitness Dharminder Kumar, a fellow labourer present at the site, the team had started removing the shuttering of the freshly cast slab when a sharp cracking sound echoed.
“Before anyone could understand what was happening, the whole slab broke and fell with the iron frame. Ram Ishwar and the others were trapped under it,” said Kumar. “Heavy metal plates and reinforcing bars pinned Rai down,” he added.
Workers and local residents rushed to clear the debris, but by the time he was pulled out, he had succumbed to his injuries.
Among the injured, Ramesh Kumar, 25, suffered the most severe trauma after iron rods pierced his legs. He was rushed to civil hospital, where doctors performed emergency surgery and stitched deep wounds on his legs. “The rods went straight through my legs. I thought I wouldn’t make it,” he said from his hospital bed.
Ajay Das, 30, sustained injuries to his head and legs after he risked his life to pull Ramesh to safety during the collapse. Doctors treated him for multiple lacerations and contusions.
Two other workers — Alok, 26, and Meghu, 25, — suffered minor injuries and were discharged after receiving first aid.
A rescue operation monitored by police from Sadar police station lasted over an hour. Teams supervised the removal of twisted iron scaffolding, shuttering planks and debris to retrieve survivors and inspect the site for clues.
Sub-inspector Avneet Kaur, SHO at Sadar police station, confirmed the death and one critical injury. “Our team has inspected the site to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. The exact cause — whether it is faulty shuttering, excess load, or substandard material — will be determined. We will take legal action based on the findings,” she said.
