PUNE: Five labourers from Bihar were killed and as many injured after the slab of an under-construction building collapsed here, police said on Friday.
The project manager and three other employees of the contractor firm were arrested and an inquiry was instituted in the incident, officials said.
The incident took place at Shastrinagar in Yerwada area of the Pune city late Thursday night.
An offense was registered against the contractor firm's staff under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 336 (rash and negligent act endangering life) on Friday evening, police said.
"We have arrested four staff members of the contractor firm, which include the project manager, his assistant, safety supervisor and labour contractor supervisor," said Rohidas Pawar, deputy commissioner of police.
A net of steel bars for building a slab at the basement level collapsed on late Thursday night.
Five labourers who were working at the time died on the spot and five others were injured, according to DCP Pawar. The injured were admitted to a hospital and were out of danger, he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of life in the incident. "Pained by the mishap at an under-construction building in Pune. Condolences to the bereaved families. I hope that all those injured in this mishap recover at the earliest," he tweeted.
Fire brigade and police personnel rescued those trapped under the debris. Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta and civic chief Kunal Kumar visited the site.
"A raft foundation slab collapsed due to the absence of spacing and support. A committee has been formed under the supervision of the district collector to conduct an inquiry into the incident. The College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) has also been roped in to find faults, if any, in the construction. Based on the report, action will be taken," Kumar said.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Mohammad Anjar, whose brother Tabiz Alam (22) was among those who died in the incident, said Alam had landed in Pune from Bihar's Belon village only six months ago in search of work at construction sites.
"For the last six months, he was working at different construction sites and only two days ago came here where the accident took place," he told reporters.
"We have four sisters, three of them still unmarried. After the death of my brother, the entire responsibility has come on my shoulders," said Anjar with tears in his eyes. No safety measures had been taken at the work site, he alleged.
Anajr also said that he got no immediate financial assistance from the administration for arranging ambulance and other things.
The other deceased were identified as Majloom Hussain and Mohd Sameer from Balthar village, Mobid Alam from Chandi and Sohil Ahmed from Bheelwari village in Bihar.
Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced ex-gratia aid of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased person. Action would be taken against those responsible for the accident, Pawar said.