One Labourer Dead, Search On For Second Trapped Worker
Key Points:
- Dilapidated water tank collapses behind Ranchi’s Kotwali station
- Two labourers trapped under debris during the collapse
- One body recovered, rescue operation for second worker continues
RANCHI – A major accident occurred in the state capital on Wednesday evening when an old, dilapidated water tank collapsed just behind the Kotwali police station.
Two labourers who were present at the site got trapped under the debris after the structure came crashing down. Ranchi police were alerted immediately, following which local administration launched a rescue and relief operation at the spot.
During the operation, rescue teams recovered the body of one of the trapped labourers from beneath the rubble. The search for the second worker, who remains buried under the debris, was still underway as of the latest update.
Officials said a JCB machine was being used to clear the debris at the site. Rescue personnel said they suspected the second labourer remained trapped somewhere within the rubble, and the search operation continued on that basis.
According to local residents, the water tank behind the Kotwali police station had been standing for a long time and was already in a weakened condition. They said the tank’s structure had grown increasingly fragile before it eventually gave way on Wednesday evening.
Residents said the tank’s frame had suddenly begun to crumble, and within moments its entire ageing structure collapsed to the ground. Two labourers working near the site at the time were caught beneath the falling structure.
Teams from the local administration and the municipal corporation reached the spot soon after and began relief and rescue work. While one body has been recovered from the debris so far, the search for the second trapped worker remains ongoing.
The incident adds to a series of accidents involving ageing infrastructure and collapsing structures reported from Jharkhand in recent months. Officials had earlier confirmed a similar structural failure when a three-storey residential block collapsed in Bokaro, trapping residents inside.
Meanwhile, rescue operations have also been prominent elsewhere in the state this week, with NDRF teams earlier engaged in a search operation in Saraikela after a young man was swept away in a check dam.
Besides accidents linked to weak infrastructure, Ranchi has also witnessed fatal road mishaps recently, including a case where two bikers were killed after being hit by a truck near the Bundu overbridge.
On the other hand, similar river-related tragedies have also been reported from other parts of the state, with two people confirmed dead after being swept away by a swollen river in Saranda.
Officials said further updates on the rescue operation and the identity of the deceased labourer would be released once confirmed.
