A 24-year-old mason was buried alive on Wednesday afternoon in a construction site when a part of a retention wall built with hollow bricks collapsed. He was digging a pit on the site for a residential building at Jakkur Layout. Three other labourers, who were also in the site, escaped with minor injuries.

According to the police, the deceased, Madhusudhan, was a resident of Sidlaghatta and was working with eight other labourers to construct a house for Chandrashekhar Reddy, a Bengaluru-based businessman.

Madhusudhan and three others were digging the pit for a pillar. The retention wall across the pit had been put up as a safety measure.

“Initially, Madhusudhan was supervising the digging work. However, when the pit was around six feet deep, he got in to help the other labourers shift the mud,” said a police officer. Around 12.30 p.m., the mud loosened and the retention wall collapsed on them.

By the time Madhusudhan was pulled out of the pit by the other labourers, he wasn’t breathing. He was taken to a hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

According to the police, Madhusudhan and the other labourers were not given safety gear. “We have recorded the statement of the injured labourers and booked a case of death due to negligence against Reddy,” said the police.