Labourer buried alive in wall collapse

Case of negligent act resulting in death registered against the building contractor

A wall colapsed at Sagar road killing two construction workers in Hyderabad on Monday.

A labourer was buried alive while another was feared trapped beneath the debris after the compound wall of a building collapsed on them when they were digging soil for the cellar at L.B. Nagar on Monday.

The victim was identified as Mohanandi Ravi (40) while efforts were on to rescue Mallamma (50), Ravi’s brother’s wife. Another labourer M. Yadaiah (40), who was working along with them, suffered critical wounds and was rescued by the police.

He was admitted to a private hospital where doctors said his condition was critical. “Yadaiah told us that Mallamma and Ravi were working at the site. Ravi’s body had been retrieved,” L.B. Nagar DCP C. Ravi Varma said.

Police brought in earth-movers and tractors to remove the debris and rescue the woman. The operations were on when reports last came in.

Utter confusion

Utter confusion prevailed as to how many labourers were engaged by the contractor and who were working at the site when the wall collapsed.

“Labour contractor Yellaiah fled from the spot and no one is available to give us information,” the police said. The contractor was digging the soil for construction of a two-floor building in a plot of 245 square yards. Around evening, the compound wall of an adjacent building collapsed on them.

A case of rash and negligent act resulting in death under section 304-A of Indian Penal Code was registered against the building contractor. Ravi and Mallamma hail from Pilllalamarri village of Suryapet in Nalgonda district. Yadaiah belongs to Gattusingaram village of Mothkuru in Nalgonda. They used to live in the huts near Kamineni Hospital.