2 labourers die in drain wall collapse, official booked

A BBMP official and a civil contractor have been booked over the death of two labourers in eastern Bengaluru.

Sudarshan, 30, from West Bengal, and Shabirul Islam, 25, from Uttar Pradesh, were killed when the mud wall of an open stormwater drain collapsed on them at Jeremiah Road, Fraser Town, on Saturday evening. Three other workers — Nazim Hussain, Muzaffar and Taibul — had escaped with injuries. The labourers had been constructing the wall.

On Sunday, the jurisdictional Pulakeshi Nagar police took the statement of Taibul and conducted a spot inspection. The incident has panicked the residents of Crystal Court Apartment, which is located right next to the drain. Residents have blamed BBMP engineers for rushing through the work.

Following the wall collapse, the water supply was disconnected to some houses. The residents want the BBMP to rebuild the compound wall and ensure the safety of workers.

The bodies of the workers were handed over to their families after a post-mortem. Islam is survived by his wife and three children.