Gurugram, 10 March

Seven workers were killed and four others, including three from Nepal, were injured when a mound of soil collapsed on them at a construction site here, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Monday evening at the Signature Global Society in Gurugram's Sidhrawali area, they added.

DSP Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, Yogesh, told reporters in Bhiwadi that construction work of a Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) was ongoing when a mound of soil suddenly collapsed, and some labourers got trapped under the debris.

Around 12 to 15 labourers got trapped under the debris. Upon receiving information, a police team from the Bilaspur Police Station, Gurugram, along with State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel reached the site and rescued the labourers.

They rushed them to a nearby hospital at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, where seven of them were declared dead, the officials said.

Postmortem examination of the deceased will be conducted in Gurugram, the DSP said.

It appears that they died due to asphyxiation, officials said.

Talking to the media in Rajasthan's Bhiwadi, a kin of one of the deceased workers said the labourers were working several feet below when the mound of soil collapsed on them.

A kin of the deceased has also demanded Rs 50 lakh as compensation.

An injured worker said that the mound of soil suddenly collapsed on them, and they got buried under the debris.

Police said the deceased have been identified as Shivshankar, Parmeshwar Mahto, Mangal Mahto, Bhagirath Gope, Satish, Sanjeev Gope, and Dhananjay Mahto.

The injured were identified as Indrajit, Chhotelal, Shivkam Chaudhary, residents of Nepal and Deendayal Sharma.

The police team has established contact with the families of the victims and has apprised them of the incident.

Necessary legal formalities are currently being undertaken, police said.

Upon the arrival of the family members, their formal complaints will be recorded, a case will be registered, and appropriate legal action will be initiated in connection with the incident, police said.