Rajasthan: 4 dead, 2 injured in mudslide during pipeline excavation work

At least four people were killed and two others sustained injuries after a portion of soil caved in during pipeline excavation work at Bharatpur district in Rajasthan, said police on Sunday (June 29).

According to officials, some labourers were filling a 10-foot-deep trench dug to lay a pipeline near Jangi ka Nagla village when the soil caved in.

Initial reports said twelve workers got trapped under the soil. Upon hearing the cries, other labourers and project staff started rescue attempts, but the depth and heaviness of the soil made immediate efforts difficult, they said.

Rescue ops underway

State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local police and civil defence teams have rushed to the spot. Relief and rescue operations have begun without delay, officials said.

The rescue teams used earthmoving machines to remove soil and retrieve the trapped labourers.

Also read: Body of Army soldier found in Sikkim landslide site

They managed to pull out seven labourers, two of whom, Ankul (22) and Vimla Devi (45), had died. While five are undergoing treatment at the district hospital, five others are still trapped under the soil, the police said.

Four dead

Confirming the incident, Bharatpur district collector Qamar Chaudhary told ANI, "A total of 6 people have been rescued. Four people have been admitted to the hospital. Two people were declared brought dead. Two more casualties have been reported. Two are under treatment."

"SDRF, NDRF, police and civil defence teams are at the spot... The total number of people affected is being assessed," the Collector, adding that it is still not clear how many people have been affected in the mudslide incident.

Monsoon progresses in Rajasthan

Rajasthan has been experiencing a lot of rainfall and in the last 24 hours more districts in the state have started to experience the rainfall. The monsoon has now moved into more parts of the state.

Himanshu Sharma, a meteorologist from Meteorological Centre in Jaipur, told ANI that in the last 24 hours, monsoon has entered some more districts of Rajasthan.

Also read: Rajasthan: Boat capsizes on Chambal River; 1 drowns, 3 rescued

"Due to which, monsoon rain has started in many places in Rajasthan. If we talk about the figures, then the maximum rainfall of 70 mm was recorded in Suratgarh of western Rajasthan yesterday," Sharma told ANI.

On June 25, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an alert, warning of heavy rain in many parts of western, central, eastern, and southern India over the next few days.

(With inputs from agencies)