HYDERABAD: Three construction workers died, and another suffered severe injuries on Wednesday morning after loose soil fell on them at a commercial building site in Chandrapuri Colony, Mansoorabad village, LB Nagar. The incident occurred while the workers were installing foundation pillars in the cellar of the under-construction structure.
Upon receiving alerts, LB Nagar police arrived at the scene and retrieved the bodies. The deceased were identified as Veeraiah (42), Srinivas (19) and Ramu (22). Their bodies were transferred to Osmania General Hospital for postmortem, while the injured labourer was admitted to a private hospital in LB Nagar for treatment.
Showcause notice to owner
The police registered a case against the building owner following a complaint by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), citing violations of construction safety regulations that led to the fatalities. GHMC also issued a showcause notice to the owner, warning of potential action, including cancellation of the building permit, due to safety lapses.
After inspecting the site, civic body officials confirmed that soil erosion at the cellar’s corner triggered the collapse. The owner had secured permission on December 23, 2024, for a building featuring two cellars, a ground floor and four upper floors spanning 1,323 square metres. However, excavation work commenced without submitting the mandatory commencement notice under Section 440 of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) Act.
Despite a precautionary notice issued by the GHMC deputy commissioner of Circle No. 3 on January 16, directing adherence to safety protocols during excavation, the owner/developer allegedly neglected to implement necessary precautions.
Officials attributed the tragedy directly to negligence and non-compliance with safety standards. Investigations are ongoing to determine further accountability and pursue legal action.