Kanchha Lama and Bhalu Lama of Dhading and Sandeep Ghalan of Tistung, Makawanpur died while fellow workers Subash Thoker, 33, and Bir Bahadur Ghalan, 21, of Tistung were injured after the slope above the pit they were digging caved in at around 12:45 pm. [break]
The three were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Medical Director Dr Pawan Sharma said the two injured are stable with no sign of external injuries.
Ram Krishna Karki, one of the eight laborers working for the construction company Cibaco Kalika Devithan JV, said the accident occurred immediately after the workers resumed duty after lunch break.
The laborers had arrived from their villages on February 11 and started working two days later after they were hired by Buddha Lama on behalf of the company.
"We were digging the pit and suddenly the mound gave way. The two of us managed to run away and luckily survived but other workers sadly couldn´t," said Bir Bahadur at the emergency ward of Patan Hospital when he was told about the demise of his co-workers.
"It was all dark and I cried for help. I also heard the wails of my friends. I thought I wouldn´t survive," Thoker recalled.
"We had planned to lay foundation for the retaining wall on Sunday had everything gone according to the plan," said Karki from Thakre-1, Naubise, who doubled up as a cook for the laborers.
Karki said Buddha Lama, who had hired the laborers, fled saying he would call an ambulance while he summoned the APF staffers for help. Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of the APF, stationed for the security of Bhattarai residence, Anil Karki said 10 APF men started rescue work immediately and a team of 15 policemen from Badegaun post joined a little while later. "We could save the two who weren´t buried deep but couldn´t save the other three," ASI Karki said.
Police see carelessness
Superintendent of Police (SP) in Lalitpur Bikram Thapa blamed the contractors for the incident and vowed stringent action against the guilty. "The nature of the accident shows utter negligence on the part of the contractors," SP Thapa said.
Thapa said supervisor Netra Bhattarai has been detained for investigation while the owners of the company -- Sita Ram Acharya and Keshav Kafle -- have not come into contact.
"It was not such an unsafe site and government engineers had okayed the construction. It was unfortunate," Acharya, who said he was in Sarlahi to observe the death rites of his mother, told Republica.
Ashok Uprety, the director general of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, which approves constructions, took moral responsibility for the incident. "We are morally bound as the construction was being done under our supervision," Uprety said. He, however, said the contractors should have taken the necessary measures to ensure safety of the workers.
A wall of the Bhattarai residence, erected by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, had been damaged last monsoon and the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had initiated investigations claiming low quality materials were used in the construction.
"The government should investigate the incident and compensate the victims," former mayor of Kathmandu PL Singh demanded.
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