Two labourers were killed and another injured after a large portion of excavated earth collapsed at an ongoing construction site in Block A, Aerocity, on Thursday night.
The deceased were identified as Ominder, 30, and Udayveer, 40. Another worker, Anuj, suffered an injury to his foot and was taken to the civil hospital, Phase 6.
The bodies of the deceased were also shifted to the hospital for post-mortem examination.
The incident took place around 8.30 pm when six labourers were reportedly carrying out shuttering work for a concrete slab. A portion of the excavated earth suddenly gave way, trapping the workers underneath.
Fellow labourers launched a rescue operation that lasted nearly an hour, while police were alerted around 8.40 pm. No rescue teams were present at the spot till 10.30pm.
Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Harsimran Singh Bal reached the spot and took stock of the situation. Initially, he said it was too early to confirm the number of deaths or whether anyone remained trapped, adding that the area would be thoroughly checked to ensure no labourer was left under the debris.
According to labourers at the site, most of the workers were from Bareilly and Badaun in Uttar Pradesh. Residents said construction activity at the site was being carried out day and night.
Around 10 pm, a sewer pipe also reportedly broke at the site, following which more earth slid into the excavated portion, according to the Aerocity Block A Welfare Society (77) Association.
The site is reportedly linked to the Elite Medicity Private Limited project, owned and directed by Manuj Wadhwa and Adhiraj Wadhwa. No representative of the construction team or the owners had reached the spot at the time.
Residents raised questions over safety arrangements at the site. They accused the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority and the project owners of “huge negligence”, saying the incident could have caused further casualties had residents been passing by.
“Had residents been crossing the road at that time, they too could have died,” an eyewitness said.
Gurmeet Kaur, who lives opposite the site, said residents had been raising concerns about the excavated area for over a month. “The area had been excavated and the land was not filled. Even about a month ago, a portion of the landfill had slipped,” she said.