Gurugram: 3 women labourers dead, four injured after mud sinks at pond site

Around 10:30am on Tuesday, a five-foot-high mound caved in while digging, trapping at least seven of them out of which three succumbed to their injuries

Updated on: Jun 13, 2023, 16:00:54 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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In a tragic incident, three women labourers died while four others sustained injuries after the mound, they were digging for a pond caved in near Pataudi village, around 44 kms from Gurugram, on Tuesday, police said.

Police said the other injured women are critical and admitted in the ICU ward. (HT photo)

The women were working at the site for the past six months under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme.

Around 10:30am on Tuesday, a five-foot-high mound caved in while digging, trapping at least seven of them.

According to the local administration, the digging at the bottom had made the mound unstable.

Harinder Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (Pataudi), said that one woman had a narrow escape, and she ran towards the other direction as she was unhurt.

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“She raised an alarm after which locals reached the spot and called the police. A team from Pataudi police station was sent to the spot and the women were pulled out,” he said.

Kumar said the women were taken to a nearby hospital where three were declared brought dead while three were referred to Gurugram’s Civil hospital.

“One of them is admitted in Pataudi hospital but is out of danger,” he said.

Police said the other injured women are critical and admitted in the ICU ward.

According to the district officials, it was a government site where they were digging a pond and it was 500 metres away from the village where only eight women were working for the last six months.

Sandeep Aggarwal, sub-divisional magistrate of Pataudi, said preliminary investigations revealed that women started digging at the bottom which destabilised the mound.

“The administration teams are conducting investigation and the administration has deployed a team at the spot to prepare a report of the incident,” he said.

The deceased women were identified, and police said they have informed the family members.

Police added that they will register a case under relevant sections after recording their statements.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More