Four workers killed in lift collapse at DDA construction site in Narela

A SENIOR POLICE OFFICER SAID THE FOUR CONTRACTUAL LABOURERS HAD BEEN HIRED BY A COMPANY CARRYING OUT THE CONSTRUCTION

NEW DELHI: Four construction labourers were killed after a hydraulic lift malfunctioned and collapsed at a construction site of the Delhi Development Authority’s residential flats in outer Delhi’s Narela on Monday evening. Police have registered a case against the company, which the DDA had outsourced the construction work to. No arrests were made till late on Monday.

According to police, the incident took place around 4.30pm when the four men, Sonu (25), Pramod (30), Sonu (27) and Raj Kumar (25), all natives of Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, were working at the construction site.

A senior police officer said the four contractual labourers had been hired by a company carrying out the construction of DDA flats. “When the labourers were in a hydraulic lift being used at the construction site for lifting construction material and workers, the lift collapsed suddenly. The lift is open from all four sides. As the lift came down, four labourers fell out of it and came under the machinery and the construction material it was carrying,” the officer said requesting anonymity.

Police control vans, civil defence officers and ambulances reached the spot and rescue operations were carried out with the help of other labourers and construction company staff. “The labourers were pulled out. They had sustained critical injuries on their heads, backs and necks. They were all rushed to a hospital where they were all pronounced dead. Their family members were informed and the bodies were sent for post-mortem examina- tions to ascertain the cause of death,” the officer added.

Deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) Rajneesh Gupta said the malfunctioning of a tower crane machine, which had a hydraulic lift, led to the incident. “A case against the company has been registered under section 287 for negligent conduct with respect to machinery and under section 304A for causing death due to negligence,” the DCP said.

Gupta said the police were probing the case from all angles. “We are checking if there is sabotage behind the deaths. All possible angles are being probed and no arrests have been made so far,” the officer said.

DDA, meanwhile, said the construction agency is responsible for the accident. Poonam Mathur, director PR, DDA, said, “The incident happened in Narela’s Sector A-4. The tower crane machine during routine maintenance malfunctioned due to which accident happened. The compensation to the families of the workers will be given by the construction agency as per the terms and conditions of our contract. We are looking into the issue to identify the reasons for the lapses at the construction site.the DDA will take all steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents. A committee of two superintending engineers is being formed to conduct a fact finding inquiry.”