Nagpur: Seventeen workers were injured, including three critically, after a slab of an under-construction gate of the Mahalaxmi Jagadamba Devasthan in Koradi in Nagpur collapsed on Saturday, officials said.
The incident took place at 8 pm, they said.
“Seventeen workers were injured, three of whom are critical. They have been hospitalised. Rescue operations were launched immediately by the police, fire brigade, and those in the vicinity. NDRF personnel are also at the site. The operation is being monitored by District Collector Vipin Itankar and Deputy Commissioner of Police Niketan Kadam,” an official said.
The cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained, he said, adding experts will be inspecting the site in some time.
“We rescued 9 people. They have sustained injuries and have been taken to hospitals. People fell down when the slab collapsed. They were covered in blood,” a local told the news agency ANI.
Inspector Krupal Mule of 5 Battalion NDRF told ANI that by the time a team of 5 Battalion NDRF reached the accident spot, the structure had completely collapsed.
“When we asked, we were told that everyone who was working here was injured, but all of them were rescued…Nobody was found trapped here. We first conducted a physical search here, followed by a canine search. There doesn’t seem to be anyone trapped here so far…But we will first have to clear the debris, and only after that can a comment be made…It is being said that construction work was ongoing and due to vibrations (of equipment), it all collapsed at once. There is a 4-5 ft tall pile of debris here,” he said.
