Ludhiana building collapse: Escaped certain death by a whisker, say labourers

“It seemed like someone had set off a bomb. The building collapsed within seconds. Bricks, and iron grills were falling from the roof at full tilt. Luckily, nobody was buried in the rubble, and we made it out,” says a labourer, Laxman, who had escaped unscathed.

Arush, 2; Gobind Kumar 17; Sunil Kumar 33; Manoj, 22; Pooja, 28; Pawan Kumar, 35; and Malkhan, 35, who were not so lucky, have been admitted to a private hospital. Eight-year-old Prem was discharged with three stitches on his head.

The labourers, who had a close shave after the adjoining building suddenly collapsed with the rubble falling on the roof of their quarters, say that it was a stroke of luck that the incident did not take place during night, as many people sleep in the verandah or open spaces. Many people were just returning from the night shift, while others were busy with routine chores when the incident took place. Around 400 labourers live in over 150 labour quarters in the building.

Waiting outside the emergency ward of the hospital, Jagatram, whose brother Sunil was injured in the incident, said, “ I was inside my room when the bricks started falling. People started screaming and I was sure that we were all going to die.”

Sunil’s wife, Malti Devi said, “My husband, our two children and I were inside our room when the building collapsed. Hearing a blast-like sound Sunil ran outside and was promptly hit on the head with a falling brick. There was dust all around and the injured were lying on the floor with bricks and irons grills crushing them.”

Shiv Nath, a relative of 28-year-old Pooja and her two-year-old son Arush, who sustained serious injuries, said, “Pooja was busy with household chores and her son close by when the building collapse. We can only hope that they survive as their injuries are grave.”

One Krishna, who works at the adjoining transport shed, said he saw the first few bricks fall and raised the alarm, due to which six employees, who were inside the shed came out safe. The building came crashing down seconds later.

The labourers have demanded compensation from the administration saying that they could not afford to pay for the treatment of the injured. A labourer, Durga Baba, said, “The owner of labour quarters has submitted some amount with the hospital, but that will not be enough. The owner of the building that collapsed has not even visited the hospital.”

MC commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal said,” Tara Chand, the owner of the unsafe building, will pay for the treatment of the injured labourers.”

The labourers have demanded compensation from the administration saying that they cannot afford to pay for the treatment of the injured. A labourer, Durga Baba, said, “The owner of labour quarters has submitted some amount with the hospital, but that will not be enough. The owner of the building which collapsed has not even visited the hospital.”