Haryana: Building collapse leaves 4 workers dead, 20 injured in Karnal
The police said that the incident took place around 3am on Tuesday when at least 150 labourers were sleeping on all three floors of the labour quarters of the Shiv Shakti rice mill
Four workers were killed while 20 others sustained injuries after a three-storey labour quarter on a rice mill compound collapsed in Taraori town of Karnal district, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased have been identified as Sanjay Kumar, 28; Avdesh Singh, 20; Chandan, 19; and Pankaj Kumar, 27, all residents of Samastipur district of Bihar.
The police said that the incident took place around 3am on Tuesday when at least 150 labourers were sleeping on all three floors of the labour quarters of the Shiv Shakti rice mill.
Rescue teams were called in immediately which were followed by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) men, who took out from the debris 24 injured, four of whom were declared brought dead by doctors.
The remaining labourers, who were stuck inside 24 rooms of the building, were taken out through windows by the rescue teams.
Confirming the death of four labourers, Karnal superintendent of police Shashank Kumar Sawan said three of the survivors have been shifted to PGIMS, Rohtak, owing to their critical condition.
FIR registered against mill owner
Acting on the complaint of labour contractor Ramdev Mehto, the police have registered a first information report (FIR) under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) against mill owner Ramesh Kumar Gupta.
About arresting the owner, the SP said that police teams reached the accident site and cooperated in the relief and rescue work. He said no arrest has been made so far, but the action will be taken as per the investigation.
Sawan said family members of the deceased have been informed and bodies handed over to them after postmortem examination.
Karnal deputy commissioner Anish Yadav said a committee under Karnal subdivisional magistrate Anubhav Mehta has been formed to find out the reasons behind the incident and further action will be taken as per the findings of the probe.
He also announced ₹8 lakh financial assistance to the next of kin of each deceased and ₹1 lakh to the injured.
