Eight killed in Himachal wall collapse

SHIMLA - Eight labourers were killed when a wall of their temporary hutment caved in early Friday due to heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district, an official said.

The labourers, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, were sleeping in their hutment when the wall collapsed around 3 a.m. at Sataun village, some 250 km from here, Deputy Commissioner Padam Chauhan told IANS over telephone.

The bodies of the victims have been retrieved from the debris, he said.

The victims were employed in a dumping yard of mine stones at Sataun, an area known for limestone mining.

The government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and announced a compensation of Rs.100,000 to the next of kin of the victims, Chauhan said.