Four buried alive in building collapse
13 persons were at work and five were at the accident spot
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-09-19 04:05 GMT
Visakhapatnam: Four workers were buried alive at a construction site in the VIP road area here on Thursday when soil caved in on them while they were bending iron rods for the basement pillar of a commercial complex coming up in the Siripuram area.
The incident took place when two rod benders and two workers had gone down to work on a retaining wall at a depth of about 20 feet. The deceased were identified as A. Someswara Rao, 28, of Kancharapalem in Vizag, K. Krishna, 40, of Muralinagar in Vizag, J. Ramu, 23, of Mandasa in Srikakulam district and Paradesi Patro, 32, of Berhapur in Odisha.
Eyewitness K. Siva said that 13 persons were at work and five were at the accident spot. Of the five, one escaped while four others were buried. Siva said after noticing loose soil pouring down they tried to rush out to save themselves. “But before we could run the soil came down upon us. My friends were buried alive in seconds, but I escaped,” he added.
DCP (Law and Order, Zone-I) M. Srinivasulu said the accident was the result of gross negligence by the builder. As per reports, the building was approved in the name of one Chandrakant and two others. The plan was to build a commercial complex with cellar, sub-cellar and ground plus four floors.