UP: Six labourers dead, three injured as mound of earth falls on them

Six labourers died and three others were injured when a mound of earth collapsed on them while they were working in a trench that they had dug out to lay 4G cable in Bareilly on Monday night.

Six labourers died and three others were injured when a mound of earth collapsed on them while they were working in a trench that they had dug out to lay 4G cable in Bareilly on Monday night, police said.

The labourers were working for a Noida-based firm and two local representatives of the company had been detained for questioning. (Representative image)

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Bareilly, Muniraj said five of the six labourers died on the spot while one of them died during treatment at the hospital.

“The deceased were identified as Najmul Hasan, Nazim Ali, Hasan, Habbu, Kesar Pal and Mahrul Alam. All of them hailed from West Bengal. Three labourers – Razzaq, Muzaffar and Kurban – who sustained injuries in the incident are undergoing treatment,” the SSP said.

Taking cognizance of the matter, Bareilly district magistrate Virendra Kumar Singh has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.

“I have directed the officials to complete the investigation within a week. At least 10 people were working inside the four-metre deep trench when the mound fell over them. Two labourers managed to come out while the others got trapped,” he said.

The district administration has informed the West Bengal government about the incident.

Police said the labourers were working for a Noida-based firm and two local representatives of the company had been detained for questioning.

“We have lodged an FIR against unidentified people under Section 304 (death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). A team from Izzatnagar police state is investigating the matter,” he SSP said.