A labourer was seriously injured following the collapse of the historic Hakganj Baranda Gate in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, an official said.
Built in 1876 during British administration, the gate collapsed late on Saturday night in the midst of building going on nearby.
As stated by Damoh SP Shrut Kirti Somvanshi, the injured laborer was sent right away to the district hospital.
A JCB machine and its operator were caught in the falling rubble while working on building projects, according to Niket Chourasia, the Deputy Collector of Damoh. Luckily, four additional employees were able to flee with very minor wounds. The SDRF and local police carried out rescue operations until 4 AM, ending only after it was determined that no more people were trapped.
The gate collapsed close to a private construction site. It is a landmark in the heavily populated Hakganj neighborhood and has archaeological value.
The collapse is thought to have been caused by incompetence in the excavation work that was being done to build a basement on Swapnil Sonu Bajaj’s property, according to Kapil Soni, the councilor for the area.
He further emphasized that the catastrophe might have been avoided if city officials had acted sooner.
The private construction project infuriated the locals, who also accused the municipal government of failing to address their past complaints.
In addition to injuring a worker, the incident caused community anguish and raised questions about local construction safety laws because it resulted in the loss of an important historical monument.