Siddarth Sethia
A 17-year-old migrant labourer from Raichur was killed and another injured after a compound wall of an under-construction apartment collapsed in east Bengaluru,allegedly due to poor construction and negligence by the builder and site owners.
The deceased has been identified as Bhimesh (17),son of Lakshmayya,a native of Panchamukhi village in Raichur district.Another worker, Doolayya (32),son of Bheemayya from Gunjala village,sustained injuries in the incident.
The tragedy occurred at the under-construction Prudent Homes Apartment located at 5th Cross in Chikkabanasawadi on Monday afternoon.
According to police and local residents,six migrant workers from Raichur had come to clear stagnant rainwater and remove mud accumulated beside the apartment’s compound wall following recent rains.
While the workers were cleaning the area around 2 pm, the compound wall suddenly collapsed and buried them under the debris.
Three workers reportedly managed to escape safely, while Bhimesh and Doolayya suffered serious injuries.
Bhimesh later succumbed to injuries,while Doolayya is undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Locals alleged that the apartment was constructed in an unscientific manner without proper planning and that the compound wall had already developed visible cracks.
Residents and activists also claimed that portions of the apartment were occupied even before the completion of construction work.
The apartment project,identified as Prudent Homes,was allegedly developed by Hari Babu on land owned by Prakash.
Activists further alleged that the building was constructed on encroached land and that multiple civil disputes related to the property are already pending before courts.
Social activist Jayaram accused the builder and authorities of negligence and questioned whether officials had ignored poor quality construction work.
He demanded strict action against those responsible for the death of the minor worker.
Based on the incident,the Banaswadi police have registered a case of death due to negligence against the building owner for further investigations .
