Two women buried under heap of coal at power stn

Two women were buried under a heap of coal when they sneaked into IP Power St tion in central Delhi to allegedly steal coal on Wednesday.

According to police, Neelima, 40, and Manisha, 19, had sneaked into the power station with Vijaya Lakshmi, 25. They live with family in Anna Nagar JJ Cluster near IP Estate. It is alleged that residents of the JJ cluster often gain illegal entry into the station to steal coal.

“Security guards often catch the thieves red-handed, but decide against handing them over to police for theft,” said a police officer. On Wednesday, the three women had gone to the power station at around 3 pm. They planned to collect coal in polythene bags and take it back home for sale.

They had done some digging inside the power station and were collecting coal from a heap. Soon it collapsed right on top of them.

Neelima, Manisha and Vijaya got buried under coal and found it difficult to save themselves. The security guards heard their screams for help and came to their rescue. “The security guards managed to pull them out, but it was too late for Neelima and Manisha,” the officer added.

A call was also made to the police control room and they were taken to Lok Nayak Hospital. Neelima and Manisha were declared brought dead, while Vijaya was discharged after first-aid treatment. Police said initial medical examination has revealed that they died due to suffocation after getting buried under coal.

Neelima and Manisha’s bodies have been preserved for post-mortem and will be handed over to family on Thursday. Vijaya told police that they work as casual labourers in the capital. They try to make extra money by selling coal in winters. They planned to sell them on the road near Anna Nagar JJ Cluster.