Two workers were killed after a water tank slab collapsed at a site near Marwari College in Ranchi on Wednesday evening, officials said. The incident took place while demolition work was underway at the site, trapping two labourers beneath the fallen debris. Five workers were present at the location when the slab gave way. Three of them were rescued safely, while two others remained trapped under the debris. The bodies of both workers were subsequently recovered during the rescue operation.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with the local administration, reached the site after receiving information about the collapse and began efforts to locate and retrieve the trapped workers. Md Saleem Rayeem, Commandant of the 9th Battalion NDRF, said his team arrived after being alerted about the incident and recovered the second body from beneath the collapsed slab. "We rushed here as soon as we received information and retrieved a body. Five people were here, and of them, three were rescued safely. One body was recovered by the civil administration earlier, and the second body was recovered now. The body has been handed over to the Police," he told ANI.
According to Rayeem, the second worker was trapped underneath the slab and had to be brought out with the help of specialised NDRF equipment. The civil administration also assisted the team during the operation. "We didn't face any major difficulties; we had all the necessary equipment available. We utilised a JCB machine provided by the civil administration to assist in the retrieval. The entire operation took us about 20 to 25 minutes to complete," he said. The NDRF commandant clarified that two bodies were recovered in total. The first had already been retrieved by the local authorities, while the second was recovered by the NDRF team.
Police confirm deaths, begin investigation
Sanoj Choudhary, station in-charge of Kotwali police station, confirmed that both workers who had been trapped beneath the debris were recovered dead. "Two workers were trapped under the debris. Both bodies have been retrieved," Choudhary said. He said the rescue operation had been continuing since around 5 pm, while the collapse itself occurred between approximately 5:30 pm and 6 pm.
The police are now investigating the circumstances that led to the collapse. According to Choudhary, labourers were carrying out work on the structure when demolition activity was underway and the slab collapsed during the process. "We are investigating the matter; labourers were working up there, demolition work was underway, and it collapsed during that process," Choudhary said. The bodies were handed over to the police following their recovery.
What happened at the Ranchi site?
The incident occurred during demolition activity at the site near Marwari College. According to eyewitnesses, the old water tank gave way suddenly and collapsed within moments. The structure reportedly came down like a house of cards, leaving debris scattered at the site and creating panic among people in the vicinity. The police were informed immediately following the collapse and rushed to the location.
Of the five workers present, three managed to escape safely, while two were buried beneath the collapsed slab. Local authorities recovered one body before the NDRF team arrived, while the second body was subsequently retrieved with the help of NDRF equipment and a JCB provided by the civil administration. The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collapse, including the work being carried out at the site at the time of the incident.
Rescue operation completed within minutes
The NDRF said the recovery of the second trapped worker was completed in around 20 to 25 minutes. The operation involved NDRF equipment as well as a JCB machine made available by the civil administration. Officials said the rescue teams did not encounter any major difficulties during the operation.
(Inputs from Mukesh Sinha)
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