A labourer lost his life after a soil collapse at a construction site in Mawdiangdiang, East Khasi Hills district, prompting an emergency rescue and recovery operation by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on Friday.
According to officials, the incident occurred while labourers were carrying out excavation work for the foundation of a building. During the operation, a large mass of filled soil from the upper portion of the site suddenly gave way and collapsed into the excavation pit.
Information regarding the incident was received from the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), East Khasi Hills, following which an SDRF team led by Inspector T. Tynsong was immediately dispatched to the location.
The rescue team reached the site at approximately 2:42 PM and launched an intensive search and recovery operation after learning that one labourer had been trapped beneath the debris.
After nearly an hour of painstaking efforts, the SDRF personnel succeeded in locating and retrieving the victim from beneath the collapsed soil at around 4:10 PM.
Unfortunately, the labourer was found dead.
Following the recovery, the body was handed over to the concerned authorities and ambulance personnel in the presence of officials from the Mawdiangdiang Police Outpost, the Headman of Mawdiangdiang, the owner of the construction site and fellow workers of the deceased.
Authorities are expected to conduct further inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The SDRF has urged contractors and construction agencies to strictly adhere to safety protocols, particularly during excavation and foundation works, to prevent similar accidents in the future.
