Pune (Maharashtra) [India], September 16 : A worker was seriously injured and trapped under debris after a nearly 50-foot-tall water tank collapsed while it was being demolished at the BJ Medical College hostel premises in Pune in the early hours of Wednesday, officials said.
The incident occurred at around 3 am when the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran was carrying out demolition work on the water tank, which was reportedly in a highly dangerous condition.
The tank suddenly collapsed during the demolition, trapping a worker beneath the debris.
On receiving information, Pune Fire Brigade personnel immediately launched a rescue operation and established communication with the trapped worker.
The rescuers used equipment including bolt cutters, spreaders, pickaxes, shovels and ropes to remove the debris and reach the worker.
After nearly an hour of rescue efforts, the worker was safely pulled out from under the debris and shifted to a hospital for further treatment.
Earlier, in a separate incident in Ranchi, two workers died after a water tank slab collapsed near Marwari College in Ranchi on last Wednesday evening, officials said.
Five workers were present at the site when the collapse occurred, of whom three were rescued safely. Two workers were trapped under the debris.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local administration were present at the spot and carried out the rescue operation.
Speaking to the media, 9th Battalion NDRF Commandant Md. Saleem Rayeem said that the NDRF team reached the spot after receiving information about the incident and retrieved the second body.
"We rushed here as soon as we received information and retrieved a body. Five people were here, and of them, three were rescued safely. One body was recovered by the civil administration earlier, and the second body was recovered now. The body has been handed over to the Police," he said.