3 buried alive at building site

Mud caves in on workers; owner had no plan approval

Three construction workers were buried alive and another rescued when a mud wall caved in on them while they were digging a foundation in Koramangala on Saturday.

The deceased were identified as Ishrafir Moor Salim, 26, Rukchand Mannaz Sheik, 24, both natives of Bejpada village in Murshidabad in West Bengal and Shivalinga, 55, a resident of KR Garden in Koramangala. The injured, Alangir Shiekh, 26, also from Bejpada village, was rushed to a private hospital. He was discharged after being treated as an outpatient, said police.

The incident occurred around 6.45 pm on a site on 80 Foot Road in Koramangala near Sapna Book House where Zed Construction company had taken up a commercial complex project. Construction work began about four months ago and a 25-foot foundation was dug. A cement wall was constructed on one side of the mud wall and work was on to construct pillars, said the police.

Debiprasad, a construction worker, told Deccan Herald: “All the four were busy digging the pit inside the foundation around 6.45 pm, while a few others were assisting them. The mud wall caved in on them suddenly and Ishrafir, Rukchand and Shivalinga were completely buried, while Alangir was buried till his neck.”

Other workers rushed to rescue the three, while a few local residents informed the police. Firemen rushed to the spot and retrieved Alangir. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was treated for injuries, said the police.

It took some time for the team to clear the mud with the help of an earth mover. The three had died by the time help came. The bodies were moved to a hospital for post mortem.

The soil had grown weak due to incessant rain in the last few days. Preliminary investigation revealed that owner Zuber had not taken safety measures for those working at night, said the police.

Investigation also revealed that Zuber had started work without a plan approval from the BBMP. “It is an offence to start work without an approved plan. BBMP assistant engineer Savithri and assistant executive engineer Chennaveeraiah have been suspended with immediate effect for their negligence,” BBMP commissioner Manjunath Prasad said.

Savithri and Chennaveeraiah told the commissioner that they did not get a plan copy from Zuber. However, the officers did not take any action against Zuber, the commissioner added.