Barnala house collapse leaves 3 workers dead

Bathinda: Three labourers died after a double-storey house undergoing repairs collapsed at Pharwahi village in Punjab's Barnala district early Sunday. Police said a fresh spell of rainfall proved fatal for the structure already stressed from weeks of partial elevation.A fourth labourer had a narrow escape as he had decided to return home late Saturday, leaving the other three behind at the site where they routinely slept overnight.The house had developed a tilt due to sewage seepage undermining its foundation. To correct it, owner Vishal Kumar had engaged contractor Ranjit Singh of Moga over a week ago. Singh, in turn, deployed four labourers to raise the sunken side using hydraulic jacks.Villagers said they heard a loud noise around 4.15am and rushed out to find the house had caved in. They pulled out the three men from the debris and took them to Barnala civil hospital, where the trio was declared dead. The deceased were identified as Moga natives Varinder Singh and Prince, and Gurjeet Singh from Dala village, near Moga.Vishal Kumar's family was also spared, having vacated the premises to stay in a rented house nearby during the renovation. Barnala DSP Satbir Singh said a case under BNS Section 106 (1) (causing death by negligence) was registered against contractor Ranjit Singh on the complaint of tehsildar Kuldeep Singh.