Building collapse leaves one dead in Ludhiana

A labourer died while five others were feared trapped after a dyeing factory building in Phase 8 of Focal Point area of Ludhiana collapsed on Saturday evening, officials said. A total of 29 workers were present in the factory (Kohli Dyeing) when the mishap took place. Six others were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital. They are said to be stable.

According to workers, repair work was being taken up in the factory when a pillar gave way, leading the collapse of the whole structure.

Initially, teams from the fire brigade and the police initiated a rescue operation. They were later joined by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Eyewitnesses said a sudden blast was heard from inside the unit, following which the entire building collapsed like a pack of cards.

Sub-fire officer Aatish Rai said, “We received information from workers that a portion of the building’s pillar had collapsed, causing a blast in the boiler and triggering the building collapse. Our team is making efforts to rescue those who are still trapped.”

A worker, Surinder Kumar, who managed to escape, said, “It occurred around 5.30 pm. Some pillars were in poor condition and support was being provided to them. Suddenly, the entire structure came down. I was lucky to escape, along with 10 to 12 other workers.” He added that it was difficult to estimate how many workers were still trapped.

Deputy commissioner (DC) Jatinder Jorwal said, “According to the unit owner and a supervisor, there were 29 workers inside the building in the morning. So far, six have been rescued and efforts are on to rescue the rest. No casualty has been reported so far.”

The deputy commissioner stated the health department had been instructed to deploy medical teams and ambulances round the clock at the site until the rescue operation ends. The municipal corporation and the fire safety department have also been directed to depute their additional staff round the clock.

Cabinet minister Hardeep Singh Mundian, who also reached the site, said the reason behind the mishap is yet to be ascertained. “Some repair work was already going on inside. The weak structure may have led to the collapse,” he said.

The rescue teams are still trying to clear the debris to rescue those trapped.

The district administration has directed the municipal corporation as well as the building department to investigate the reason behind the building collapse and submit a detailed report at the earliest. (With PTI inputs)