12 killed in factory wall collapse in west India
New Delhi, May 18 (EFE).- At least 12 people were killed and one wounded on Wednesday in western India after one of the walls of a salt factory collapsed on its workers.
The accident took place in the western state of Gujarat at 12.30 pm, when the wall of the factory collapsed and buried a number of employees – killing 12 people wounding another who has been admitted to a hospital – ML Barad, an officer at the Modrbi district control room, told EFE.
The incident took place in industrial area of the district.
“Rescue operations have been completed and nobody is missing, just 13 people had been affected,” Barad said, despite rumors that another person may have been trapped under the rubble.
Images of the factory after the incident showed a large amount of rubble and sacks of salt scattered around the floor, while dozens of people are seen trying to move them with the help of an excavator.
Several prominent figures expressed condolences for the victims, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called the tragedy “heart-rendering.”
“In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Local authorities are providing all possible assistance to the affected,” he tweeted.
Fires, collapses and other other industrial accidents are common in India, often due to the precarious state of the infrastructure and lack of maintenance, factors which are further aggravated by corruption and illegal practices.
In March, an explosion at an illegal fireworks factory in northern India killed 11 people, including three children, after several people were buried under the rubble.
In 2020, at least 1,536 people were killed in the country by collapsing structures, according to the latest annual report on accidental deaths and suicides. EFE
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