Three labourers drown in pond near rice mill in Ramtek's Nagardhan
Three migrant labourers from Bihar drowned while bathing in a pond behind a rice mill in Ramtek's Nagardhan on Saturday.
Three labourers drowned in a pond behind a rice mill in Mauja Nagardhan on the Ramtek-Mauda Road on Saturday, September 26, around 1.30 pm. The mill, run by Mohanlal Shankarlal Agro Foods Private Limited, was in mourning after the incident.
According to Ramtek police, the deceased were Gulshan Kumar (20), a resident of Purnia in Bihar; Rupesh Kumar (18), a resident of Khagaria in Bihar; and Manish Kumar (18), also from Purnia, Bihar. The three had been working as loaders at the rice mill for about 20 to 22 days. They had been brought there by a contractor, Prashant Kumar, who is himself from Bihar.
After finishing their morning shift on Saturday, the three went to bathe in the pond behind the mill around 1.30 pm. While bathing, they suddenly slipped and were pulled into deep water. Initial information suggests the pond is about 15 to 20 feet deep.
When fellow workers realised the three had gone under, they immediately alerted the rice mill management, who in turn informed Ramtek police.
On receiving the information, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ramesh Barkate and Ramtek police station inspector Rajeshkumar Thorat reached the spot with their team. A search operation was carried out in the pond with the help of local fishermen, and after considerable effort, the bodies of the three labourers were pulled out of the water.
The bodies were then sent by ambulance to the sub-district hospital in Ramtek, where post-mortem examinations were conducted. Ramtek police are investigating the matter further.
The incident has raised questions over the safety of migrant labourers working at the rice mill. Given the presence of ponds and other water bodies around the premises, there have been calls for proper safety precautions and arrangements for the workers.
