Welder gets trapped inside under-construction basement, dies

Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Manoj C said the deceased had fallen into the 40-foot deep under-construction basement and got trapped under debris.

A 35-year-old labourer died on Thursday morning after getting trapped in a 40-foot deep under-construction basement near New Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station.

A police officer said the body has been preserved at Safdarjung Hospital. (File)

Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Manoj C said the deceased has been identified as Mohammad Shamsher, a resident of Araria district in Bihar.

“At around 6 am on Thursday, information was received at Sarojini Nagar police station that a labourer had fallen inside a 40-foot deep basement under construction and got trapped under debris…. After reaching at the spot, it was found that Shamsher was working as a welder at the site, where the construction for redevelopment of Safdarjung Railway station is going on. Later, with the help of officials from fire department and NDRF, the dead body was taken out of the deep debris,” he said.

The officer added that the body has been preserved at Safdarjung Hospital and it will be handed over to the family members of the deceased after a post mortem.

“Prima facie, it appears to be an offence of negligence on part of contractor and company. An FIR in this case has already been registered under sections 288 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down or repairing buildings) and 304A (Causing death by negligence) of the IPC at Safdarjung police station. We will interrogate the contractor and other company officials in this case,” the DCP said.