Livelihoods: At least 6,500 employees have died on duty at factories, ports, mines, and construction sites in five years, according to the Ministry of Labour. The actual numbers however could be higher, as many deaths go unreported, or are termed as injuries, if the person dies after two weeks of the accident.
Over 80 percent of the deaths—or 5,629 people—were reported in factory settings, while 549 deaths were reported from mines, 74 at ports, and 237 died in construction sites under the central government’s jurisdiction, as per ministry data.
A significant number of such deaths were reported from the top industrialised states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. Gujarat accounts for at least 20 percent of total deaths. While factory deaths in Maharashtra and Gujarat increased, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab saw fewer deaths during the period. Deaths in construction sites were lower since the pandemic because construction activity came to a standstill during the lockdown.
According to the ministry, the reasons behind the occupational deaths includes explosions, fires, prime movers, machinery moved by mechanical powers, accidents due to motor vehicles at construction site, and electrocution, among others.
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