Shillong: Rynjah Police ordered the apartment owner and contractor to appear for questioning Monday. They face scrutiny after a 35-foot shaft in Lapalang became a gas chamber. Five men died Friday when carbon monoxide filled the unventilated pit.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem confirmed the summons follows an FIR for negligence. The case falls under Section 125(a) of the Disaster Management Act. Officials are investigating if the builder used an unauthorized crew or ignored safety protocols while running a diesel pump inside the narrow space.
The victims include laborers Pynskhemlang Mawthoh, Rapborlang Nongspung, and Elka Shadap. Sunil Thakuri, 34, and his brother Umesh, 30, died while trying to rescue them. Asenla Nongrum, the brothers' landlady, questioned the safety of the setup. "How can people survive inside such a narrow dug-out well?" she asked.
Sunil and Umesh Thakuri acted quickly after an alarm went off at 7:40 pm. Umesh gave his phone to Nongrum before descending. He died shortly after being pulled out. Sunil died on the way to the hospital despite attempts to revive him with CPR. The brothers were the sole breadwinners for their elderly parents.
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