Noida: Two workers died after falling from the 14th floor of an under-construction building at Golf Homes Society in Greater Noida West on Saturday. Police have detained the contractor for questioning and are investigating whether safety lapses at the construction site contributed to the accident.The deceased have been identified as Sarkar (19) and Jamal Sheikh (45). They were residents of Kalmati village under Sahibganj police station in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. According to police, the two had been working at the construction site for the past seven months. Some of their family members were also employed at the same site.Police said the incident took place around 4pm when they were engaged in construction work on the 14th floor of the tower. They allegedly lost balance and fell. Fellow workers raised an alarm and called police. A team reached the spot and rushed them to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead. Their bodies were subsequently sent for autopsy.There are conflicting accounts regarding the circumstances leading to the fall. Some workers claimed that the two were not wearing safety belts at the time of the incident. However, police said their preliminary inquiry indicated that the workers might have been wearing safety harnesses, which allegedly got loose, leading them to lose balance.Another possibility being examined is that the accident may have involved a construction lift being used to transport material to the upper floors. Sources said the two workers may have been on or near the lift when the incident occurred. Police and forensic teams have collected evidence from the site to establish the exact sequence of events.A senior officer said the contractor had been detained on suspicion of negligence, while the site supervisor was also questioned. Police said further action would be taken after examining the evidence and post-mortem findings.The police said a case would be registered on the basis of a complaint from the victims’ families. Investigators are also examining whether safety measures were being followed at the construction site. Sources said efforts were allegedly being made by the builder and contractor to settle with the victims’ families, though police said the investigation would proceed based on evidence.
