Labourer buried alive in sewer excavation in Prayagraj, body recovered
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Prayagraj: A 45-year-old labourer died after being buried under loose soil during sewer line excavation work at Kakraha Ghat in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district on Sunday, officials said.
The deceased has been identified as Gaya Prasad, who was engaged in digging work at the site when the incident occurred. Police said the accident took place around 11 a.m. during an ongoing project linked to Ganga pollution control.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Nikita Srivastava said information was received at Kareli police station, after which emergency teams were rushed to the spot.
“Today, around 11 a.m., information was received at Kareli police station that sewer work related to Ganga pollution control was underway, in which two labourers were engaged in digging soil. Due to the loose nature of the soil, one labourer got buried in it,” she said.
She added that teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local police immediately reached the site and launched rescue operations.
“As soon as we received the information, SDRF, NDRF, and the local police team immediately reached the spot. Rescue operations were carried out with the help of two JCB machines, and the body has been recovered,” the ACP said.
Officials said the rescue operation continued for several hours before the body of the trapped labourer was retrieved from beneath the soil. The second labourer present at the site was reported safe.
Following the incident, a large number of local residents gathered at the site, causing crowding near the excavation area while rescue efforts were underway.
The incident has raised concerns over safety standards at construction and excavation sites, particularly in areas with loose soil conditions. Authorities are expected to examine whether proper precautions were followed during the work.
Further investigation is underway.
With IANS inputs