Body of a labourer was on Wednesday recovered from the debris of the collapsed 220-metre high chimney at a power station near here as rescue efforts continued to trace another missing worker.
“Body of a labourer in his mid-40s was recovered from the debris early this morning. The labourer has been identified as Mewalal,” District Magistrate Rajshekhar said.
Two labourers went missing after the under-construction chimney collapsed at Parichcha thermal power station on Monday.
“Family members of two labourers — Shyam Sunder and Mewalal, both hailing from Chirgaon — have claimed that the duo have not reached home and were missing after the incident,” Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Brij Lal had said.
He said as per police report only five labourers were present at the spot when the chimney collapsed.
Officials said the chimney had collapsed during lunch time when most of the labourers were not present at the site.
Executive Engineer of the power plant Ganesh Prasad Srivastava had lodged an FIR against National Building Construction Corporation’s DGM S.K. Chopra and two firms — VJMC and Vishwakarma —engaged in the construction work.
Power department sources claimed there were inputs that the chimney was slightly titled and directives had been issued to rectify it.
Chief Project Manager Dinesh Agarwal said it would take a day or two to clear the debris completely and clear the area.
“As the structure was made from iron, gas cutters were being used, besides machines of different agencies including NHAI and BHEL to remove the debris,” an official spokesman said in Lucknow.
