Seven construction workers were killed when a huge earthen mound caved in at the site of an under-construction shopping complex near Harihar Cinemas at Lakshmipuram in Guntur on Saturday evening. A man identified as Maria Das miraculously survived.
The workers were engaged in building the compound wall when the earthen mound around the pit caved in burying them in mud and slush. Eyewitnesses said the workers had expressed apprehensions over the strength of black cotton soil, but the mason prodded them on.
A little while later, the compound wall of an adjacent restaurant also collapsed with a thud.
The workers, hailing from SC Colony at Gottipadu in Prathipadu mandal, were identified as Seshu, Bhagya Rao, Moshe, Solomon, Babloo, Sudhakar, and J. Prasanth.
Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Fire and Emergency Department rushed to the site.
Ravela’s car attacked
Tension prevailed at the site as relatives of the workers attacked the car of Minister of Social Welfare Ravela Kishore Babu. GMC Superintending Engineer Dhanunjaya Reddy was roughed up. Police had a tough time controlling the crowds.
The five-storey mall was being developed as a joint venture by a city-based realtor. Dalit organisations demanded an ex gratia of Rs. 25 lakh to next of kin of the victims. Home Minister Chinnarajappa has been instructed by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to oversee the rescue operations.
District Collector Kantilal Dande, Superintendent of Police Sarva Srestha Tripathi, and DRO K. Naga Babu were monitoring rescue operations.
(With agency inputs)
