Four more workers succumbed to their injuries on Saturday a day after a service lift had a free fall from the 14th floor at an under-construction group housing society in Greater Noida West, reports PTI.
The incident took place at around 8.30 AM on Friday at the under-construction site of Amrapali Dream Valley Society in Greater Noida West, also known as Noida Extension, killing four, while seriously injuring five. The project that has been long stalled is being completed by the state-run NBCC, which is monitored by the Supreme Court.
District Magistrate Manish Verma said on Saturday, “Four workers had died after the incident on Friday. Five of them were admitted to the district hospital in a critical condition. Of these, four more have succumbed to the injuries while one worker is still undergoing treatment.”
The victims have been identified as Arbaaz Ali, 19, from Meerut, Kuldeep Pal, 20, from Kannauj, Maan Ali, 20, from Balrampur and Mohammad Ali Khan, 18, from Amroha, police said in a statement Saturday. One worker is currently in critical condition in the ICU of a hospital.
A financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh each is also given to the next of kin of the deceased. Of the compensation sum, Rs 20 lakh is from NBCC and Rs 5 lakh from the court’s receiver (in the project), Verma said.
“NBCC has already handed over the cheques of the compensation for those killed on Friday and similar compensation would be provided to those who passed away on Saturday,” the district magistrate told news agency PTI.
Police on Friday identified the dead workers as Ishtaq Ali, 23, of Bihar’s Balrampur district, Arun Tanti Mandal, 40, of Bihar’s Banka, Vipot Mandal, 45, of Bihar’ Katihar and Aris Khan, 22, of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh.
The DM had visited the accident site and said that the matter is being investigated.
“We will recommend financial compensation for the victims as per the law and guidelines of the Labour Code. The matter is under investigation as of now,” Verma was quoted as saying by PTI.
Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged against nine people at the Bisrakh police station in Noida, said Additional DCP (Central Noida) Rajeev Dixit. Among those booked are two officials of NBCC, two of the lift provider company, and two site supervisors.
All the accused have been booked under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (injury due to negligence), 338 (grievous hurt due to negligence), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
Provisions under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act have also been invoked in the case, the FIR showed.
Uttar Pradesh currently does not have any law to regulate the installation, maintenance or usage of lifts, even as residents in Noida and Greater Noida have been raising demands for it time and again.