Ranchi: Twenty-one days after leaving his native Dahu village in Khunti district’s Rania block for work in Sikkim, 19-year-old Babloo Sahu began his journey home on Thursday with the mortal remains of his elder brother, Krishna Sahu.The two brothers travelled to Namchi district on July 2 to work at NHPC’s under-construction Teesta Stage-VI Hydroelectric Project. Krishna was among four workers from Jharkhand killed when a tunnel collapsed at the project site on July 20. Babloo returned home with two co-workers and his brother’s body.Krishna, 23, was employed as a welder at the project. “I work at the company’s mess and supply food to workers inside the tunnel. On Monday, when I was returning after supplying food, I heard a massive sound of a hill caving in and got to know about the incident,” Babloo told TOI on the phone on Thursday from Siliguri, West Bengal.“Krishna and other workers were trapped inside the tunnel and killed in the accident. His body was recovered on Wednesday and, after the necessary formalities were completed, I am bringing his mortal remains to Khunti in an ambulance by road. I am expected to reach on Friday,” Babloo added.Krishna is survived by his parents and younger brother Babloo. Rania block development officer Prashant Dang said efforts were underway to bring the victims’ bodies to their native places.The other deceased workers from Jharkhand were Budaru Bikash Kandulna, 40, of Dahu village, Jageshwar Thakur, 46, of Hazaribag, and Masih Barjo, 53, of West Singhbhum.Budaru’s widow, Asha Kundulana, said he went to Sikkim for work three years ago. He is survived by a son, Ajay, 18, and daughters Aarti, 14, and Anuja, 12.“Babloo informed me about the incident when I was grazing cattle in the fields. I had spoken to him on the phone that morning before he went to work. Budaru last came home in February and returned to Sikkim in May. He was the sole earning member of the family. Now I have no clue how I will look after my family and children,” she said.She added that Budaru’s elder brother, Johnson, who also works in Sikkim, was bringing back his mortal remains.Chief minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday directed the state migrant control room and labour minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav to assist the victims’ families.Shikha Lakra, team leader of the Jharkhand state migrant control room, said the bodies of three of the four deceased workers were being brought to Jharkhand, except Masih’s.“Legal heirs of the deceased families will receive Rs 4.50 lakh in compensation from their employer, of which Rs 50,000 will be provided for performing the last rites. Registered workers with the Jharkhand labour department will receive Rs 2 lakh each, while non-registered workers will get Rs 1.50 lakh,” she added.With inputs from Sanjay Sahay
