3 killed as portion of KIOCL plant collapses

Three persons were killed on the spot when the third floor of the iron ore plant building, belonging to KIOCL (Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited), collapsed on them on Sunday morning.

With mining activities suspended by KIOCL, a Chennai-based company, Annam Steels, was in the process of dismantling the three-floored building, more than a 100-feet high, for the last six months.

The workers were working on the ground floor, when the third floor caved in suddenly, at around 11 am, killing three persons on the spot. It is said that on Saturday, the third floor had been partially demolished. Unaware of this, a few workers began work on the ground floor. The impact shook the third floor, which gave in.

Three earthmovers were engaged in a 5-hour task to clear the debris that weighed hundreds of tonnes, to extract the bodies. Kundan, a native of Bihar, Shankar (45), a native of Odisha and Sunil (30), a mason, are the victims. The Kudremukh police are camping on the plant site. Four others injured in the incident, have been admitted to the community health centre at Kalasa.