2 labourers killed in wall collapse

KOLKATA: Two persons died and an equal number were severely injured after a high wall, around an under-construction building, suddenly collapsed on labourers engaged in cleaning a drain at Behala on Monday afternoon.
Police said 11 labourers were trapped under the debris. Later, police had the debris removed, rescued the labourers and sent them to hospital.Two of them were declared dead in hospital.
According to police, the wall on the southern part of the under-construction house at 8/4, Dwarik Mukherjee Road, just beside Behala Bazar, suddenly collapsed when 11 labourers were cleaning the drain. "They were trapped under it and started screaming from below the debris. We rushed there to rescue them. Some could be brought out while others had to wait till police and fire brigade arrived," said Aravind Sau, an eyewitness.
"The drain serves quite a wide area. The water of Behala Notun Bazar, Behala Purono Bazar, Behala Samabayika and Behala Hawkers Corner pass through it. So, it is important to keep the drain unclogged. But I have no information whether the labourers were engaged by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation or any other agency," said Shila Banerjee, Tinamool Congress councillor of ward 130.
One of the two labourers who died was identified as Lakshman Munda (30) of Gopal Mishra Road in Behala. The other, aged around 40, could not be identified. Two of those seriously injured have been identified as Sanat Mondal (40) and Biswanath Chowdhury (45).
Locals said the original wall was not so high. "Recently, the owner of the house suddenly raised the height of the wall by adding on the weak structure of the old wall. It was erected illegally with the local civic authorities looking the other way. So, the danger was waiting to happen," said Shyamoli Das, a neighbour. Local MLA and leader of the Opposition Partha Chattopadhyay demanded a proper probe into the mishap. "KMC should zero in on the culprits responsible for the deaths. I will also raise the issue in the Assembly," he said.