A 68-year-old labourer, Hans Raj Yadav, died allegedly after falling into an uncovered drain at an ongoing four-lane road expansion site on the Asuran Crossing-Pipraich route in Gorakhpur on Tuesday, triggering police action against the contractor firm and disciplinary proceedings against Public Works Department (PWD) officials.
The incident took place near the Padri Bazar police outpost along the Asuran-Pipraich road near Vikas Nagar Colony, where drain construction work is underway as part of a major road widening project.
Eyewitnesses said Yadav fell into the excavation where iron rods were protruding from the structure, and one of the rods pierced his abdomen.
Circle officer Ravi Kumar Singh said, “Police teams immediately reached the spot after receiving information about the incident. The injured man was shifted to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The body has been sent for the post-mortem examination.”
District authorities confirmed that an FIR has been registered against the contractor firm after preliminary findings pointed to negligence in safety arrangements at the construction site.
District magistrate Deepak Kumar Meena has recommended the suspension of PWD junior engineer DK Singh after prima facie negligence was found in the execution of the project and safety measures at the site.
Officials said the PWD chief engineer has also recommended initiation of departmental proceedings against assistant engineer Ranjan Singh under Rule 7. An explanation has also been sought from executive engineer-in-charge Dhruv Agrawal.
The administration has constituted a high-level inquiry committee led by the additional district magistrate (city) and the PWD superintending engineer to investigate the incident and submit a detailed report.
Officials said further action would be taken after the inquiry report is submitted. Authorities said financial and administrative assistance is being provided to the bereaved family.
Residents alleged that the open drain had been left without proper barricading or protective covering despite heavy pedestrian movement in the area. They claimed that only warning tape had been placed around the site.
On Monday, divisional commissioner Anil Dhingra had chaired a meeting with officials from the PWD, Gorakhpur Development Authority (GDA) and other departments, during which he directed executing agencies to ensure proper barricading and safety measures at construction sites.
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