In a tragic incident, a construction worker died while another got critically injured on Wednesday after they were trapped in a pit at a construction site in the Balmatta area of Mangaluru. They got trapped in the 20-foot-deep pit after loose soil fell on them.
The incident is reported to have occurred at around 12:30 pm as two workers, Chandan (30) and Raj Kumar (18), were involved in building foundation work, the official said. Both the workers belonged to Bihar. While Raj Kumar was rescued alive and rushed to a local hospital, Chandan was found dead. Injured Raj Kumar is currently undergoing medical treatment. They were part of a team that was engaged in constructing a superstructure in Mangaluru's uptown area.
As per the officials, teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Fire department quickly reached the site. The rescue operation took hours during which Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan and Commissioner of Police Anupam Agarwal visited the site to oversee rescue efforts.
Soil unfit for deep excavation
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner, Mullai Muhilan said, "At around 12:30 pm, an incident took place where two labourers got buried because of a mudslide. We have been able to successfully retrieve one of them and he is healthy. The fire team, SDRF and NDRF teams are carrying out a rescue operation. For the second person, a rescue operation is going on. We are trying from both angles of forecutting as well as removing the topsoil to retrieve the person."
Mangaluru's leading civil engineers said that the entire coastal region, except a few interior belts, is formed with loose and porous laterite soil which is unfit for deep excavation as it can lead to savings.
(With inputs from agencies)
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