Gurgaon: An FIR was registered against the developer of Signature Global’s City of Colours in Sidhrawali, where seven workers died in a wall collapse while excavating soil for a sewage treatment plant on Monday night, as absence of safety measures at the site came under scrutiny. The Gurgaon administration ordered a separate probe into the accident. Doctors who treated the injured said on Tuesday besides injuries from the fall, at least three workers were impaled by iron rods. The men, who were building a retaining wall for the STP, fell on a jagged mesh of iron rods several feet below them. The FIR, registered on Tuesday under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 125 (acts done so rashly or negligently that they endanger human life or personal safety), named Global City of Colours, Balajee Infratech and Construction Ltd, sub-contractor Deendayal Sharma, safety officer and project in-charge Dinesh Veer and site structure in-charge Vikas Pandey.Dinesh and Vikas were arrested, while the others, according to police, are absconding.According to the FIR, the accident took place around 7pm on Monday inside City of Colours, where a 30-40ft deep pit was being dug for the foundation of the STP. At least 25 workers were engaged at the site when the soil gave way and the wall collapsed, trapping them under debris.The complaint was filed by Murari Lal, whose younger brother Satish worked at the site as a supervisor and was among the dead. He alleged that the labourers had been sent into the deep pit without basic safety arrangements or protective gear despite the obvious risk of loose soil collapsing.The seven men who died were Satish, Shivkumar, Sanjeev Gope, Bhagirath Gope, Mangal Chandra Mahto, Dhananjay Mahto and Parmeshwar Mahto. Six of them were from Jharkhand, while Satish was from Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Four others — Indrajeet, Chhotelal, Shivkaam Chaudhary and sub-contractor Deendayal Sharma — are battling injuries at Bhiwadi district hospital.A doctor said injuries were severe. “In a few cases, iron rods pierced the stomach or intestines, which proved fatal. Even the survivors have injuries to the head, back and arms caused by the rods,” the doctor added.Police said they were informed not by anyone from the accident site, but by the Bhiwadi hospital the victims were taken to. By the time cops reached Sidhrawali with a rescue team, the trapped workers had already been pulled out and shifted.All victims were initially taken to Geetanjali hospital in Bhiwadi. After seven were declared dead on arrival, the bodies were moved to the district hospital there, from where police were informed. The bodies were later brought back to Gurgaon for an autopsy.A labour department inspection has since thrown up several violations at the site. The contractor was stopped from carrying out any further work till safe working conditions are restored. The report said the roughly 30ft deep excavation had been dangerously undercut, without proper shoring, piling, bracing or support systems, creating a risk of further landslides. It also found that adequate slopes or steps had not been provided to protect workers from cave-ins, even though 25 labourers were deployed at the site.The department further said that the realtor had not submitted the required written details of layout plans, construction methods and excavation schedule to the chief inspector as mandated. It also found that warning signs had not been displayed at conspicuous locations, stretchers were not readily available for emergencies, and loose live electrical wires had been left exposed without adequate safeguards against contact.In a statement, Signature Global said it was “deeply saddened” by the deaths and injuries and was extending financial, medical and logistical support to the affected workers and their families. The company said that, prima facie, the incident resulted from negligence by the construction contractor, Balajee Infratech, and that it had issued a show-cause notice, ordered an independent inquiry and suspended three staffers linked to the project. It said it was cooperating fully with the authorities and would act against anyone found responsible.“As a responsible corporate, Signature Global remains firmly committed to the highest standards of safety. We are also initiating an independent review to further strengthen safety protocols across all our ongoing projects to ensure such incidents do not occur in the future,” it added.City of Colours, located off NH-8 in Sidhrawali, is spread over 129 acres and is planned as an integrated township with residential, commercial and industrial components. It includes residential plots of 103-150sqm, industrial plots of 400-2,800sqm, and a 1.9-acre commercial parcel. According to the developer, residential plots are priced at roughly Rs 1 crore to Rs 2.4 crore, while industrial plots start at about Rs 3.5 crore. The project is under construction, with possession expected in 2028.
