Wall collapse kills two labourers in Kanjurmarg

Rescue operations underway in Kanjurmarg where a wall collapsed on two labourers, killing them. (Photo: Shripad Naik)

Two labourers were killed after a wall of an under-construction MMRDA building collapsed in Karve nagar of Kanjurmarg (east), on Saturday morning. The Kanjurmarg police has registered a case against the contractor.

According to officials, the incident took place on Saturday around 9.30 am, when the labourers of contractor Balaji Construction were busy removing the wooden cover from the cement wall. While the two labourers Inderjit Vijay Chauhan (22) and Mahesh Dashrath Chauhan (22) were passing by the wall carrying some equipments, the wall collapsed on them and they got stuck under the debris.

The police and the fire brigade were called in immediately to rescue them. “Inderjit was pulled out of the debris but was declared dead in the Rajawadi Hospital before the admission,” said fire brigade officer. According to sources, the rescue workers managed to retrieve the body of the other worker as well.

Commenting on the incident, Dilip Kawathkar, joint project director, MMRDA, said, “The construction work of an underground water tank for a rehab building is in progress at the MMRDAsite, Karve Nagar, Kanjurmarg (east). After carrying out the excavation work for about 4.5m depth, the retention and protection wall collapsed into the 20-foot-deep piling pit of an under-construction site right next to it while the labourers were working on the retaining wall of the underground tank. Two of the labourers got trapped below the debris.”

DCP Vinay Kumar Rathod said, “Our investigation is underway and we have registered a case against the responsible contractor.”