1 killed, three injured in Noida house collapse

Noida: A 22-year-old man died and three others sustained injuries in Bahlolpur area of Sector 63, Noida, on Monday evening after a single-storeyed house partially collapsed during a foundation digging work being carried out at an adjacent plot, officers said, adding that three JCBs were pressed into service in the rescue operation and two people have been detained over the incident.

Police identified the deceased as Jitendra Kumar, 22, a native of Ambedkar Nagar district, and the injured as Kalu Singh, 35, and Prashant Kumar, 15, both residents of Bahlolpur, Sector 63, Noida, and Mayaram (single name), 22, a resident of Khoda, Ghaziabad, who are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

“On Monday around 5.15pm, when four to five people, including a 50-year-old labourer and his son, 22, were carrying out foundation excavation work on the empty plot, next to a one-storeyed building in Bahlolpur. Suddenly, a wall of that building started developing cracks,” said a police officer, who was part of the rescue team, requesting anonymity.

“There is a barber shop at the building. Four people were inside it. As the barber was working, three customers feared collapse and they managed to escape just as it happened. But two of the four-five labourers, who were digging the foundation, failed to run away in time and got stuck under the debris as a portion of the building came down. A minor, standing near the spot, also sustained some injuries,” the officer added.

Police were alerted on the emergency helpline number 112, and a team of police and fire department rushed to the spot.

“A labour, a minor (Prashant) and the barber stuck inside the debris were rescued safely and hospitalised. Their condition is informed to be stable,” said Shakti Mohan Avasthy, deputy commissioner of police (Central Noida).

“After three hours of search, a body of the missing man (Jitendra) was recovered from the debris around 8pm,” the DCP said, adding that the foundation work is said to have started a fortnight ago.

It came to fore that Jitendra was working inside a deep pit of foundation area and his father was working a few metres away. As the adjacent building collapsed, Jitendra could not find a way to run and got stuck inside, officers said.

“On the complaint of family members of the deceased, we are registering a case against responsible persons. Two people have been detained,” the DCP added.

Investigation revealed that Jitendra was working with his family members who alerted their contractor about the crack in the wall, and requested to stop the work. But he directed them to continue, said police.