1 killed, 16 injured as under-construction building collapses

Bhopal: A labourer was killed and 16 other workers were injured when an under-construction building of a police training academy collapsed in Bhopal district. The third floor of the building of Central Academy of Police Training, the construction of which was going on for last three months at Kanhasaiya locality on the city outskirts, collapsed suddenly late last evening during beam laying work.

The two floors below it also came crashing down, trapping the labourers working there under the debris, Superintendent of Police, Bhopal (south), Siddharth Bahuguna said. A labourer, identified as Matlu Koda (35), was seriously injured in the mishap. He died on way to hospital, the SP said. Sixteen other labourers, including three women, were pulled out of the debris and admitted in hospital for treatment of their injuries, he said.

The SP said that a case will be registered against the company involved in the building's construction. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed grief over the incident. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of the deceased labourer. He also promised an assistance of Rs 50,000 each to the seriously injured persons and Rs 25,000 to those who suffered minor injuries, a state Public Relations officer said.