3 workers killed as mall shuttering collapses in Mathura

Agra: Three construction workers, including one from Nepal, died and another was injured after the shuttering of an under-construction mall in Mathura’s Rukmani Vihar area collapsed around 7am on Friday. The workers were casting a roof slab on the fourth floor when the structure gave way.Around 10 to 12 workers were at the site, four of whom were trapped under the debris. One died on the spot, while two others were declared dead after they were taken to hospital. Police identified the dead as Alam, 30, and Rifuel, 28, both from West Bengal, and Shivram, 42, from Nepal. Another worker, Dildar, 45, also from West Bengal, was taken to SN Medical College in Agra for treatment.The victims’ families accused construction company Omaxe of negligence and said that adequate safety measures had not been followed at the site.They demanded compensation of Rs 50 lakh for each affected family.RK Jain, general manager at Omaxe, expressed grief over the deaths and said work at Vrindavan Courtyard Mall had been underway through the night before the collapse. “The company will assist the families and cooperate with the inquiry into the cause of the collapse,” Jain said.Mathura district magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh told TOI, “The mall’s plans had been approved by the authorities, and the company has also assured financial support to the victims’ families. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has taken note of the incident and assured all possible help to the families.”Police said further action will be taken if they find evidence of negligence or violations of safety rules.