Tapi (Gujarat) [India], November 6 (ANI): Two employees were killed after hot and cold water tanks collapsed at the Copper Sugar Mill in Dadariya village of Gujarat’s Tapi district, trapping them under the debris, officials said on Friday.

The incident occurred at around 6:45 pm on Thursday at the sugar mill in Valod taluka. Following the collapse, police personnel and fire teams from Vyara and Bardoli rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation.

After an intensive search and rescue operation lasting around five to six hours, the teams recovered the bodies of both employees from beneath the debris and handed them over to the police.

The deceased have been identified as Arun Patel (54) and Dharmesh Patel (30), both employees of the sugar mill.

Speaking to ANI, Dilip Odedara of the Vyara Fire Department said the department received information about the structural collapse from the Bardoli Fire Control Room and immediately dispatched a team to the site.

“This incident occurred yesterday evening; around 6:45 PM, we received information from the Bardoli Fire Control Room that a structural collapse had taken place at a sugar factory near Valod. A hot water tank and a cold water tank had collapsed, prompting our deployment to the site,” Odedara said.

He further said, “After a search operation lasting about 4 to 5 hours, we recovered two bodies and handed them over to the police department.”

Further details are awaited. (ANI)