Man placing bricks crushed to death by lift at project site

Ghaziabad: A 30-year-old daily wager was crushed to death after he got stuck between a construction lift and an iron rod at the site of a housing project in Rajnagar Extension on Thursday.
Originally from Bihar, Sonu had carried a pile of bricks to the second floor of an under-construction tower of Hitaishi Heights around 3pm on Thursday. He was placing the bricks outside the lift when it started to go down on its own.
With one leg on the floor and another still inside the lift, Sonu was dragged into the gap between the lift and the iron rod supporting the structure and was crushed to death.
Chetri Devi, Sonu’s sister, was informed by other workers at the site after the accident. She alleged that as Sonu bled from his wounds, other workers were reluctant to take him to hospital.
“It was after much persuasion that my brother was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. He came to the city merely four months ago,” she added.
Sonu’s body was brought back from the hospital and allegedly kept in a vehicle at the construction site for long. There were allegations that police were informed much later.
Ravi Kumar Singh, the Nandgram ACP, said the body was sent for an autopsy and they were in the process of registering a case.
Police believe Sonu suffered a grievous neck injury after his head got stuck in the gap. The lift operator, police said, would also be probed for alleged negligence. “The construction site lacked adequate security arrangements. We are probing allegations of negligence,” an officer said.
The construction company could not be reached for comment.