Ranchi, Sep 9 (IANS) A worker was killed, and several others are feared trapped under debris after an old water tank collapsed in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi on Wednesday evening, following which a large-scale rescue operation was launched, officials said.
The incident occurred near Radium Road, just behind the Kotwali police station in the city.
The dilapidated water tank, which had been standing in a deteriorated condition for years, suddenly came crashing down while construction work was underway in the vicinity.
Several labourers engaged at the construction site were caught under the debris.
Police and rescue teams rushed to the spot immediately after receiving information about the accident.
The body of one worker has been recovered so far, while efforts are underway to trace and rescue others feared trapped beneath the rubble. JCB machines have been deployed to clear the debris.
Authorities have cordoned off the area and regulated public movement to ensure that rescue operations are not hampered. A large crowd gathered at the site following the collapse, while officials continued to monitor the ongoing relief efforts.
Ranchi MLA C.P. Singh visited the site and reviewed the rescue operation. He also sought details of the incident from officials present at the scene.
According to preliminary information, the water tank was old and structurally weak. However, it remains unclear whether the ongoing construction work had any direct connection with the collapse.
Officials said the exact cause of the incident would be determined only after a detailed investigation will be done.
The accident has once again raised concerns over the safety of ageing and dilapidated structures in the state capital.
Earlier this month, a mason was killed after a portion of an under-construction building collapsed in Ranchi’s Lalpur area.
Police personnel remain deployed at the site, and a detailed probe into the cause of the collapse will be initiated once the rescue operation is completed.
–IANS
snc/skp/vd