Mumbai: Labourer dies after falling in lift duct

The incident took place on Thursday when they were moving a large wooden cupboard to the fourth floor. (Representational)

A 42-year-old labourer, who was helping shift furniture in an underconstruction building in Mumbai, died after falling in a lift duct on Thursday. The Chembur police has registered a case of death due to negligence against contractor Chakor Purav.

According to the statement of Vilas Murmure (40), the complainant in the case, he and the deceased – Palghar resident Sanjay Balu Patil – had been working for Purav, who supplies sound systems.

Since there was no work due to the lockdown, Purav had asked them to help out at an underconstruction building at Chembur Gaothan. They were promised Rs 600 per day of work for transporting cement and furniture and cleaning up the place.

Murmure told the police that the fifth floor of the building was under construction. They started working at the site on June 21.

The incident took place on Thursday when they were moving a large wooden cupboard to the fourth floor. “The cupboard was large… we were having trouble taking it upwards. As we reached the third floor, Patil, while trying to move the cupboard away from the lift duct, lost balance and fell in the duct. We rushed down and found that he had sustained severe injuries in his hands, legs and back and he was unable to move,” Murmure told the police. Soon Purav also reached the spot and the duo rushed Patil to Das hospital in Chembur where Patil succumbed.