1 dead, 3 injured in construction mishap at AIIMS campus

An accident at a construction site on AIIMS campus -- Mother and Child Block -- led to one labourer’s death. Three others were injured and admitted at Safdarjung hospital.

One labourer died and three were admitted to hospital after they were buried under a pile of debris at a construction site on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) campus.

Construction work is going on as a part of an expansion plan for AIIMS campus. The accident took place at a site where land excavation is being done. (HT File Photo)

The incident happened around 12:30 pm at the hospital’s Mother and Child Block that is under construction. Four labourers were dug out during the search operations, and the contractor took them to the nearby Safdarjung Hospital.

“One was brought dead and the other three are drowsy. We have kept them under observation in ward A and will be getting a CT scan done. All three, however, have stable vital parameters at the moment,” said a source at Safdarjung.

Land excavation is underway at the country’s premier hospital for a new block near the parking area as a part of expansion plans for the institute.

“It is the contractor who is responsible for the work at the site as we have given them the land for construction of the block and until they hand it back to us after completing the project, we are not directly involved,” said a senior official at AIIMS, requesting anonymity.

AIIMS, however, sought help of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) soon after it learnt of the incident.

“They are well equipped to handle search and rescue work in such a situation that is why we called them. We have also sent our doctors to Safdarjung as the contractor decided to take the labourers there. The search is still on to look if there is anyone alive under the debris,” the official said.