Landslip kills 7 at construction site in India

Seven laborers were killed and another one injured following a landslip at a construction site in southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, officials said Sunday.

The landslip occurred at Guntur district, about 270 km south of Hyderabad city, the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Officials said the rescue efforts were hampered due to collapse of a compound wall of an adjacent building.

"Last night work was going on and workers were busy digging cellar for the multi-storied mall at Lakshmipuram in Guntur. Suddenly the landslip occurred and trapped eight workers at 30-feet deep cellar," a police official said.

"One worker was pulled alive in a critical condition but the remaining trapped ones were caught underneath mounds of mud. Even the situation worsened when compound wall of the adjacent building also caved in."

Following the tragedy excavators were pressed into service to clear the mud and pull out the bodies from underneath.

Authorities rushed rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Fire and Emergency Department to the site.

The accident triggered protests and anger from the fellow workers and villagers. Endit