A tragic incident occurred on Thursday morning in Lucknow's Gomtinagar area when a retaining wall collapsed at an under-construction private hospital site in Vibhuti Khand, resulting in the death of one labourer and injuries to another.
Accident Details
The accident took place around 10 a.m. while excavation work for the basement was in progress alongside foundation laying. A retaining wall built to hold the surrounding soil gave way, causing a cave-in that trapped two labourers under debris. Police and fire brigade teams promptly arrived and launched a rescue operation. Both labourers were extricated and rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Science hospital, where one was declared dead upon arrival, and the other was admitted for treatment.
Victims Identified
The deceased was identified as Lakshmi Shankar Awasthi (35), a resident of Ramnagar in Barabanki. The injured labourer, Tulsiram, is reported to be in stable condition.
Eyewitness Account
Sabir, a co-worker at the site, recounted, "Tulsiram had climbed into the pit to dig while Lakshmi Shankar was lifting soil in a pan. When the soil suddenly caved in, both were buried. Co-workers removed debris by hand and managed to clear Tulsiram's face within minutes. Lakshmi, however, was trapped under more than four feet of soil. Fire brigade teams arrived soon after, and it took about 45 minutes to pull him out."
Another labourer, Narendra from Haidergarh, said a mason approached workers at the Chinhat labour stand on Thursday morning, seeking 10 men for concrete casting. The group included Sanjay, Nankau, Sabir, Tulsiram, and Lakshmi Shankar.
Official Response
Officials from the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) inspected the site later. Additional Secretary CP Tripathi confirmed that the building plan for plot D-63 had been approved. LDA zonal officer Devansh Trivedi stated, "During the inspection, it was found that all construction areas were as per the map and the owners have proper no-objection certificate for basement excavation. However, we will reinspect the site and ensure such an unfortunate incident does not happen again."
Labourers' Allegations
The daily-wage labourers alleged that they were lured to the construction site with false assurances of routine work and later pressured to undertake unsafe excavation. Police said they are investigating these allegations. The owner of the under-construction site remained unreachable despite multiple attempts to contact him for comment.
Family Impact
Lakshmi Shankar is survived by his mother, wife, and six-month-old daughter.
