Demolition of old structure hurts one
A portion of the unused conveyor belt caved in due to Friday night rain and fell on a container truck parked inside the Chennai Port on Saturday (Photo: DC)
Chennai: In two accidents in Chennai port in 24 hours, one migrant labourer was killed and other escaped with injuries while demolishing an old structure inside the port premises and a truck got completely crushed in another freak accident.On Friday, workers were involved in demolishing an old structure when the roof centering caved in and two contract labourers who were sweeping were trapped in it.
Around noon, the workers were demolishing an old building near the 10th gate when the incident took place, said the police. The workers were using gas-cutting equipment for welding and because of the vibration; a concrete slab in a nearby structure caved in and fell on two persons. They were taken to the government Stanley hospital, where Ashok Yadav (35), of Bihar was declared brought dead. Another labourer, Gurushid Ram (30), who is paralysed below his hips, is undergoing treatment.
Hours later, early Saturday morning, a huge portion of a conveyor belt near the container terminal inside Chennai port caved in and fell on a truck that was parked there. The driver had a lucky escape as he was not in the vehicle.The conveyor belt was unused for more than three years now following the suspension of coal handling at the port. The coal yards were converted into container terminals and the conveyor belts served little purpose.
“Due to overnight rains and lack of maintenance, a portion of the conveyor belt caved in and fell on a container truck. A few portions were dismantled while the other railings were not, which led to the accident,” Narendra Rao, VP, Madras port and dock employees union, told DC. Harbour police are investigating both the cases.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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