At least four labourers were killed and nine others injured after a three-storey under-construction building collapsed in the Dhulkot area of Ambala city on Sunday afternoon.
Soon after getting the information the administration rushed heavy earth-movers and ambulances to the site while police teams reached the spot soon after being alerted. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel were also deployed to assist in the rescue operation. Rescue and debris-removal operations were continuing late into the evening, with officials fearing that more labourers could still be trapped underneath the rubble.
According to the police the incident occurred when the lintel was being laid on the third floor of the building on Sunday afternoon and 35 to 40 labourers were reportedly working at the site when the structure suddenly gave way, trapping several workers under the debris.
On being contacted Ambala superintendent of police (SP) Ajit Singh Shekhawat told HT that four people died in the building collapse and the rescue operation is going on. He said that the circumstances leading to the collapse were yet to be ascertained. Police officials associated with the investigation said that it was also not immediately clear whether the construction of the building had been approved by the authorities concerned.
Local residents immediately rushed to the spot and joined the rescue efforts. Thirteen workers were pulled out of the debris and taken to the civil hospital, Ambala city, where doctors declared four of them dead. The injured have been admitted to the hospital.
Ambala deputy commissioner Sachin Gupta said the rescue teams had been called and four people had died.
