Digging work was in progress at a mango farm in Rewa in the village since a month.

After finding a water source 30 feet below, the slab construction work was started, for which three labourers were put to work this morning. But sometime later, the wall caved-in and they were trapped under slabs and heaps of mud. Seeing the incident, other labourers, who were working outside, immediately rushed to Phudvel village for help.

Farm owner Chandrakant Mistry, a resident of Billimora also immediately rushed to the spot.

Chikhli police and Chikhli mamlatdar MP Prajapati also reached there after learning of the incident. Three JCB excavators were pressed into service to evacuate the labourers, identified as Soma Patel (22), Dinesh Patel (20), and Ramsingh Patel (21) all residents of Chilkhli taluka in Navsari district. But till evening no traces of the men were found.

Jagdish Patel, uncle of labourer Dinesh Patel, has now lodged a complaint against contractor Raju Patel and site supervisor Gulab Patel with the Chikhli Police Station.

Chikhli Mamlatdar M P Prajapati said, “We are carrying out excavation work but we are facing difficulty in digging out the mud as it is very soft. Five JCB machines, 40 labourers and five tractors are involved in this rescue operation work.”