
AURANGABAD, SEPT 15: Six labourers, five from the same family, died when a 30-feet wall of an ancient fortress gadi collapsed over them on early Tuesday morning in Sonpeth tehsil of Parbhani district.
When villagers rushed to the spot after hearing a deafening sound the only indication that some labourers could have been working at the spot was a tractor standing a few feet away. So huge was the mound of mud and stones that it took the villagers nine hours to clear the debris to retrive the first of the six bodies.
Three labourers, who were working at the site, escaped with minor injures and have been admitted to the civil hospital at Parliand Ambejogai, District Magistrate of Parbhani, Baldeo Singh, informed The Indian Express.
In earlier days, the gadis were houses of the village jagirdars, normally Deshmukh8217;s. Over a hundred years old, most of these structures have now been abandoned by their owners due to its deteriorating condition.
However, the rich white mud with which thesegadis were constructed with continues to be in great demand.
So with the permission of the gadi owner, Bhagwan Deshmukh, the Banjara family had brought a tractor to dig out the mud, for which they were to pay Deshmukh Rs 150 per truck.
Singh said an ex-gratia of Rs 3,000 has been announced to the next of kin of each of the deceased while other benefits will follow after all details of the incident are available.