Two killed as building collapses during demolition

Two daily wage workers were killed and two others rescued after a three-storey building collapsed while it was being demolished on Monday morning in Gurugram’s Udyog Vihar Phase 1, police said

Two daily wage workers were killed and two others rescued after a three-storey building collapsed while it was being demolished on Monday morning in Gurugram’s Udyog Vihar Phase 1, police said.

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The incident took place around 7.20am when the four workers started the demolition work on the first floor of the old decrepit factory building that was being demolished in stages since August this year. Police are waiting for the family of the deceased to file a complaint, based on which they register a case and book the persons responsible for carrying out the demolition work and the person(s) who employed these workers.

Deepak Saharan, deputy commissioner of police (west), said the directors of the company that owns the factory building were planning to demolish it to make way for a new structure. “The building was closed for the past six years and the demolition work had started in August. Three directors of the company were getting the demolition work done and action will be taken against them as per the law, after we receive a complaint from the family of the deceased,” he said.

The deceased were identified as Pratap (24) and Guddu Singh (35) of Fatehpur Chaurasi, Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, said police, adding that both workers were rescued and rushed to the hospital where doctors declared them dead on arrival.

The injured who were rescued were identified as Ramakant (24) -- he suffered multiple fractures and injuries to his arm and legs -- and Naresh Khilawan ( 22), who suffered minor injuries all over his body, said police.

Police said prima facie it appears that the building was in a dilapidated condition, and it may have further weakened in the rains.

Saharan said they received information about the collapse within a few minutes of the incident, following which teams from Udyog Vihar police station and other police stations were sent to the spot. “We informed the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), fire department and civil defence volunteers who reached the spot and a rescue operation was launched,” he said.

Saharan they identified the spot where two workers were trapped and it took rescuers at least four hours to get them out. “The building was very old and its demolition started in August. Two floors have already been demolished and a portion of the structure on the first floor, that may have weakened during the demolition exercise, caved in, trapping four workers under the debris,” he said.

The district administration officials said the workers were contracted to carry out the demolition work and were staying on the premises in the rear of the building.

Nishant Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner, Gurugram, said the initial probe revealed that the demolition work was going on since August. Six workers, all of them from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, were living at the site. “Two workers had stepped out when the collapse happened and four were trapped underneath the rubble. Two of them died while two were safely rescued. They were taken to a hospital and are being treated for their injuries,” he said.

Gaurav Patel, an NDRF officer, said the rescue operation concluded around 11am.

Khilwan, one of the injured workers, said he was on first floor when it suddenly collapsed. “All of a sudden, the building collapsed and I was covered in rubble. My head and back were stuck under the rubble and it was difficult to breathe. I had no hope that I will be rescued. I still cannot get over the incident,” he said.

Jagdish, father of deceased worker Pratap, said he received a call from another worker informing him about the incident. “I was working at that building till 15 days ago and was shifted to another site by the contractor. It’s an old factory building that has been shut for some time and the demolition work has been going on for over a month now. My son was living on the premises and was paid ₹500 a day. I saw his body after it was pulled out of the debris,” he said.