BD5,000 for a life
By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 11th November 2006
THE family of an Indian man who died when scaffolding collapsed at a construction site in Sanabis has received more than BD5,000 in compensation and support. Father-of-three Kumarapillai Neelakantan was killed and his Bangladeshi colleague Anwar Abdul Subaharan seriously injured when they fell six floors last month. The 50-year-old died shortly after being taken to Salmaniya Medical Complex, while his colleague, 31, survived and is still being treated for his injuries.
The men were putting finishing touches to grill work on the Tameer Residence apartment block near the Elite Suites Hotel, when the accident happened at around 8.45am.
BD5,000 for a life
By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 11th November 2006
THE family of an Indian man who died when scaffolding collapsed at a construction site in Sanabis has received more than BD5,000 in compensation and support. Father-of-three Kumarapillai Neelakantan was killed and his Bangladeshi colleague Anwar Abdul Subaharan seriously injured when they fell six floors last month. The 50-year-old died shortly after being taken to Salmaniya Medical Complex, while his colleague, 31, survived and is still being treated for his injuries.
The men were putting finishing touches to grill work on the Tameer Residence apartment block near the Elite Suites Hotel, when the accident happened at around 8.45am.
The Indian was a supervisor with UBFI, which is part of the Bahrain-based Bramco Group, and had worked for the company for 13 years.
The accident happened at the site of Al Hedaya Contractors, but the company and the Bramco Group both previously denied responsibility.
Bramco Group vice-president of finance Jalaj Anand said Mr Neelakantan’s body had been repatriated to Trivandrum, Kerala, despite the company not accepting blame for the tragedy.
He said officials did not want his family to suffer while the dispute over which party was responsible is investigated.
Mr Neelakantan has left behind a wife and three teenage children – two daughters and a son.
Mr Anand said that Mr Neelakantan’s family received around BD5,000, including a settlement of BD2,400 and compensation of BD2,500.
He said the amount does not include his Gosi compensation, which is yet to be calculated.
Mr Anand said Bramco also paid for Mr Neelakantan’s brother-in-law, who works for the same company, to accompany his body back to India and have offered the dead man’s son a job in the company.
He told the GDN that colleagues of Mr Neelakantan also collected around BD800 for his family. Mr Anand added that Mr Subaharan, who suffered a fractured neck bone and a broken thighbone, has made steady progress.
He was in a critical condition after he was admitted to SMC, but is expected and to be discharged within two weeks.
Al Hedaya Contractors managing director Syed Yousif earlier said his company was not responsible because the workers involved were sub-contractors from another firm.
But Bramco chairman Vinay Dewan insisted his company was not responsible for the scaffolding at the site.
© Gulf Daily News
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/
Story.asp?Article=161448&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29236