Worker killed, 3 feared trapped under debris as portion of factory collapses
A worker died and nine others received injuries after an under-construction portion of a dyeing unit collapsed in Ludhiana’s Focal Point on Saturday evening.
At least three persons were still trapped in the debris till the filing of the story, with the authorities saying their number might go up as the rescue operation was likely to continue till Sunday morning.
According to officials, the incident took place around 5.30 pm when construction material was being lifted to the first floor of the Phase 8 factory with the help of a crane. An eyewitness said about 30 persons were present there at the time of the incident.
The rescued workers were shifted to Fortis Hospital, where one of them died, according to hospital sources. Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal said the exact number of those trapped was still unknown. He said the rescue operation might take hours to complete.
Meanwhile, relatives of those trapped inside the debris rushed to the site.
Ambulances, earth-moving machines and firefighters were pressed into the service as part of the rescue efforts being carried out by the National Disaster Response Force, city police, health officials, and the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation.
An official said Revenue Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian was overseeing rescue efforts. The Deputy Commissioner said the Health Department has been instructed to deploy medical teams and ambulances at the site till the completion of the operations.
