Punjab: 3 Labourers Killed, 1 Trapped As House Collapses In Rupnagar, Rescue Ops On

The incident took place yesterday when the labourers were engaged in the process of raising the lintel of the house. 

A two-storey house collapsed in Preet Colony in Punjab's Rupnagar on Thursday, killing three labourers. One of the five labourers still remain trapped under the debris for whom the rescue operations are currently underway, news agency PTI reported on Friday.

The incident took place yesterday when the labourers were engaged in the process of raising the lintel of the house. 

Out of the three labourers who were killed in the inciden, two were already dead when pulled out of the debris during the rescue operation, while one of them passed away in a hospital, Gulneet Singh Khurana, Senior Superintendent of Police, Rupnagar told PTI.

Khurana added that one labourer, who was pulled out alive from under the debris, is being treated at a hospital, while efforts to rescue the one who still remains trapped is currently underway.

As per the report, the police stated that a loud explosion was heard when the building caved-in.

Following the collapse, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Punjab Police and the fire brigade reached the incident spot to conduct the rescue operation. 

 House owner Rajinder Kaur said that the structure of the house was built in 1984.

"They were doing the work of lifting the lintel of the house with the help of jacks. A contractor from Haryana had employed the labourers for the task," PTI quoted SSP Khurana as saying.

A case regarding the house collapse incident has also been registered by the police, Khurana said.