A tragic accident has been reported from Borivali West, where a 23-year-old labourer died after falling from the 13th floor of an under-construction building. The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Shakeel Sheikh, a native of Katihar district in Bihar. His family has alleged that negligence on the part of the contractor and project management led to the fatal incident.
The incident took place at an under-construction site named ‘The Castle Solidago’, located opposite IC Church in Borivali (West). For the past two and a half months, work related to installation of a car parking lift was being carried out at the site by RR Parkon company, where Shakeel was employed.
According to eyewitness and relative of the deceased, Nazimul Haque, the incident occurred around 1:00 pm when Shakeel was coming down for lunch. As he approached an open ladder cut-out (approximately 3x3 feet) left for the parking lift on the 13th floor, he reportedly slipped and lost balance, falling straight down from the height.
Following the accident, co-workers and relatives rushed Shakeel in a critical condition to Bhagwati Hospital in Borivali, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. He had sustained severe injuries to his head and other parts of the body.
In his statement to the police, the victim’s brother Mohammad Arifulhaq Sheikh made serious allegations regarding lack of safety measures at the site. He claimed that despite the hazardous nature of work at such height, no safety nets were installed. He further stated that he had earlier raised concerns about unsafe working conditions, but these were ignored by the contractor. Due to poor financial conditions, Shakeel was compelled to work without any safety belt or life-saving equipment.
Police have taken cognisance of the matter and registered a case of negligence against the contractor and project manager Rahul Kumawat (27) of RR Parkon company. Preliminary findings suggest that failure to provide adequate safety measures may have led to the fatal accident.
“My brother’s death is a result of the negligence of the contractor and management. Had there been safety nets or proper equipment, he would have been alive today,” said Mohammad Arifulhaq.
Police are further investigating the case, and a safety audit of the construction site is likely to be conducted.