Soil cave-in: 2 labourers killed

Two labourers were killed after soil caved-in during the construction of a retaining wall of an under construction building, at Gowlibeedi in Madikeri on Tuesday.

According to the police, the deceased have been identified as Gowramma (45), a resident of Yalahanka in Belur of Hassan district and Yashoda (20) of Maderahalli in Chikkamagaluru taluk. Gowramma’s husband Masha Bovi and another labourer Nanjunda have been rescued from the site.

The building belongs to P Ramesh. Six labourers were clearing the soil for constructing a retaining wall. The soil that had loosened due to rain, caved-in when the labourers were on the site. Though a huge quantity of soil had fallen on Masha Bovi and Nanjunda, health officials had supplied oxygen to them at the site itself, which helped them survive.

Nanjunda said, “We were planning to go to our native to celebrate Deepavali on Wednesday.”

Two other labourers Savitha and Honna Bovi had a miraculous escape. Labour organisations said that the soil has become loose following heavy rain. It is dangerous to work but the owners do not take any precautionary measures, he said.