Agartala, December 17: A tragic accident claimed three lives and left four others critically injured after a newly constructed chimney of ABC Brick Kiln collapsed at Aperskar under Kamalpur subdivision in Tripura’s Dhalai district on Wednesday. The incident occurred while religious rituals were being performed ahead of lighting the brick kiln furnace.
According to reports, preparations were underway for Brahma Puja and other customary rituals at the kiln. As the process of lighting fire inside the furnace was about to begin, the chimney suddenly gave way, crashing down and trapping several workers under heaps of bricks and debris. The sudden collapse triggered panic at the site, prompting an immediate rescue operation.
Fire service personnel, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, police, and ambulances rushed to the spot. Heavy machinery was deployed to clear the debris and rescue trapped labourers. Three workers died on the spot due to severe injuries, while four others were pulled out alive but in critical condition. The injured were initially taken to Bimal Sinha Memorial (BSM) Hospital in Kamalpur and later referred to Agartala Government Medical College and GBP Hospital, as well as Kulai District Hospital, for advanced treatment.
Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha expressed deep grief over the incident. In a social media post, he said he was saddened to learn about the collapse of the chimney at ABC Brick Industry, which resulted in three deaths and injuries to four others. He conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, adding that SDRF and police teams were carrying out rescue and relief operations on the spot.
The deceased have been identified as Subal Debnath (55) and Pinku Shil (37), both local residents, and Anil Gautam (49), a migrant worker from Jharkhand. The injured include Bidhu Sharma (45), Santosh Gupta (28), Harkis Chauhan (50) and Harkis Saroj (40), all migrant labourers from outside the state.
Brick kiln manager Shankar Kanti Deb said the incident occurred suddenly during the inauguration of the furnace, even before the fire was lit. Local MLA Manoj Kanti Deb visited the hospital and the accident site, while Dhalai Superintendent of Police Mihirlal Das also inspected the spot. Police have launched an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the collapse, raising fresh concerns over safety standards at brick kilns in Tripura.
