Local tribal workers also trapped in collapsed building
BABESH BORKAR, CANACONA | 04 January 2014 19:22 IST
Building under construction collapsed (Photo: Suprabhat Bhat)
Many of the trapped workers in the building collapse tragedy in Canacona are believed to be locals, from the tribal villages of Gaodongrim and Khotigao.
While over 50 construction workers are feared trapped under the debris of the collapsed building of Ruby Residency at Chaudi, the fire brigade had succeeded in pulling out 23 workers till this news was written down.
Eight among them are found dead while most of the survivors are critical. They have been shifted to Hospicio hospital in Margao while three more critical have been shifted to GMC hospital at Dabolim.
The workers working at the construction site included many from Canacona, said the locals, mostly from Gaodongri and Khotigao.
However, there are also migrant workers from different parts of the country.
Many among them are very young, hardly between 18 to 25 years of age.
The police are still trying to identify the persons. At least 30 more workers are feared trapped inside.
Unfortunately, Vikas Gaonkar from Tudal, Gaodongri had joined today after a brief holiday. His dead body was recovered from the debris.
Bharat Developers has been constructing Ruby Residency in two phases. This was the construction of the second phase building.
The five-storeyed building suddenly collapsed at around 2.30 pm today while workers were working on all the floors.
The floors above the first floor collapsed, thus trapping the workers inside.
A slab from the same building had collapsed last year, the locals told goanews.com.
As the fire brigade personnel are trying their level best to pull out the trapped workers, chief minister Manohar Parrikar has sought help of around 200 army personnel for the rescue work, as additional help.
Parrikar rushed to the spot as soon as the news broke out and is personally monitoring the whole rescue operation.
All top officials from the collectorate, police, fire brigade as well as other departments have reached the site while sports minister Ramesh Tawadkar, the local MLA, also rushed to the spot.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Lokotsav going at tribal village of Amone was cancelled due to the tragedy.
It was the second day of the three-day tribal festival, organized by Tawadkar.
