Jaunpur (UP), April 8 Two labourers were killed after a pile of soil suddenly collapsed on them during pipeline repair work in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday night, police said.
The incident occurred near Chaukia Shivalaya in Devkali Bazaar, where the workers were engaged in welding work inside a pit for pipeline maintenance, they said.
Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Ayush Srivastava said the two deceased, Prince Kumar (20) and Niranjan Kumar Mahto (32), are both from Bihar.
He said the two labourers were inside the pit repairing a pipeline leak when a pile of soil suddenly collapsed on them, burying them.
Upon receiving information, police and local authorities rushed to the scene and launched a rescue operation. The workers were pulled out of the debris after considerable effort, but they died, he said.
Eyewitnesses present at the site alleged that the pit was deep and that adequate safety measures were not in place, which may have led to the accident.
The police said the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, and further investigations are underway.
Initially, the incident appears to have been caused by a collapse, officials added.