Hyderabad: Loose soil burdened by a heap of construction rods and an old compound wall, caved in at a construction site in Kondapur killing two construction workers and injuring two others, on Monday morning.
The incident occurred when the victims were working in the 30-ft-deep cellar area. Police said lack of safety measures at the site led to the accident.
A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder (304-II) and causing injuries (337) under the Indian Penal Code was registered against the contractor, site engineer, site supervisor and the builder. The 1.25 acres of land in Survey No. 11 in Kondapur village is owned by one Pyati Mahipal Reddy. He had handed over the land to Vamsiram Builders for development. In November 2016, the builder started the work and was planning to construct a cellar on three levels, approximately 30 ft below ground level. Initially, the ground was dug and cleared using heavy machinery and JCBs. A week ago, before they began the construction of the retaining walls, they were clearing the stones in the dug-up area.
It was all over in seconds: Survivor
Two couples were employed for the clearing work — Ankulapet Bharatamma, 22, and her husband Balaiah, from Kamareddy district, and Polapally Kishtamma, 45, and her husband Papaiah, from Medak district. Around 8.30 am, while they were busy clearing the stones, a huge heap of foundation stones from the boundary on the ground level came down along with huge quantities of mud.
Polapally Kishtamma who died in the cellar collapse
Balaiah said that they saw a blanket like thing coming over them and realised that stones falling. “Me and Papaiah managed to jump away, but my wife and Kishtamma could not run and got trapped in the debris. We were also covered in the dust and it all became quiet in seconds,” he recalled.
The bodies of Bharatamma and Kishtamma who were trapped under the falling debris, were recovered around 11.30am. Balaiah and Papaiah suffered minor injuries and are recovering in hospital. Based on a complaint by Balaiah, a case has been registered in the Madhapur police station.
