Odisha labourers feared trapped inside collapsed building in Chennai

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Kashinagar (Gajapati), June 30:

At least 10 labourers from Kashinagar block in Odisha’s Gajapati district are feared trapped inside the debris of a 12-storey building at Molibhakam in the West Chennai that collapsed on Saturday evening.

While the identity of the three labourers is known, there is no information about the remaining seven.

Surprisingly, the neither the district administration nor the Labour department has any information in this regard.

According to reports, Uddi Pappa Rao (50), his wife and two daughters of Khandaba village and Logulapu Lokesh (25) of Ranipentha village under Kashinagar block were working at different construction sites in Chennai while staying in the under construction building.

On the fateful day, Pappa Rao’s wife and one of her daughters had gone for work in a construction site while he and his daughter Roja were working on the roof of the under construction building.

The structure collapsed in the evening trapping both inside. 

After hours of efforts by the rescue team, Pappa Rao was rescued in the late night and admitted in a hospital in a critical condition.

However, there was no trace of the daughter and another Odisha labourer Lokesh.

Besides, there is no information about the remaining seven labourers of Kashinagar who were also working in the building when it collapsed.

Sources said, the Paralakhemundi MLA K Suriya Rao is  collecting information about the missing Odisha workers and has also discussed the matter with the district administration.

Reliable sources said that nearly 5000 labourers from Kashinagar block in Gajapati district have migrated to the neighbouring states in search of work to eke out a living.

However, the district Labour department has no information on this, nor has it made any efforts to keep track of their whereabouts and plight.