Two Workers Killed in Mohali Hospital Site Accident; GMADA, Police Ordered to Submit Reports

Police have registered a case against a construction firm, foreman Ram Babu, site in-charge Harinder and contractor Rajesh Chauhan following the death of two workers in a soil-collapse incident at the basement of an under-construction Elite Medicity Hospital in Aerocity’s Block A, Mohali. The case has been registered over allegations of negligence resulting in deaths and putting human lives at risk. The two deceased workers, Udevier and Ominder, were from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. Another worker, identified as Anuj, sustained serious injuries in the incident. According to police officials, the hospital under construction is associated with a prominent orthopaedic specialist in Mohali. Taking serious note of the incident, Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal has directed GMADA and the police to prepare separate reports investigating the circumstances that led to the accident. GMADA officials will also examine whether any building by-laws or construction regulations were violated during the work. The findings are expected to help establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and determine whether required safety and construction norms were followed. According to information available, a large quantity of soil fell from a height of around 30 feet onto workers who were working in the basement on Thursday evening. Sources said the loose excavated soil may have shifted due to vibrations caused by a heavy truck passing along the nearby road, resulting in the accident. Local councillor Harvinder Singh Binder and residents said the basement had been excavated to a depth of around 30 feet for the hospital project. They alleged that adequate safety arrangements had not been put in place, causing the ground along the roadside to weaken and the side wall to collapse. The councillor and local residents have alleged that negligence on the part of the contractor and the owners contributed to the deaths of the workers. They said the deep excavation had significantly weakened the surrounding soil. Residents further claimed that they had been warning the contractor and workers about the potential danger for the past month. However, according to them, their concerns and warnings were repeatedly ignored. The police investigation and separate GMADA assessment will now focus on the cause of the collapse, construction practices at the site and whether mandatory safety measures and building regulations were followed.