Raipur: Two workers were killed, and six others injured after a centring frame collapsed during slab-laying work at an under-construction building in Raipur on Saturday, police said.
The incident occurred in Vishal Nagar on VIP Road, where a multi-story building is under construction, Raipur additional superintendent of police (SP) Lakhan Patle said.
Preliminary investigation suggest that the frame crashed to the ground around 3.30 pm when a slab was being laid on the 8th floor of the building, Patle said.
“Eight workers trapped under debris consisting of iron bars and construction material were evacuated and admitted to different hospitals. Of these, two succumbed to their injuries in the hospital,” he added.
Earlier, police reported that 10 workers were injured in the incident.
Raipur SP Lal Umed Singh said that of the six injured, one remains in critical condition.
Police and district administration personnel initiated a rescue operation and were later joined by the state disaster response force (SDRF).
As of now, no workers are believed to be trapped under the debris, but officials will confirm once the debris is fully cleared in the coming hours, Singh said.
The under-construction project is owned by a private real estate firm, which has announced compensation of ₹10 lakh for the family of each deceased worker, officials confirmed.
Pradyum, a labourer at the site, recounted working on the ground floor when he heard a loud crash of metal falling.
“Some workers fell from the upper floors where slab-laying was underway. Others on the ground were trapped under the debris. We tried pulling them out,” he said.
Meanwhile, some workers, speaking anonymously, alleged that the site lacked adequate safety measures.
When asked about these claims, Singh assured that an investigation into the adherence to safety protocols would be conducted, and appropriate action would be taken based on the findings.