Udhagamandalam: Tragedy struck a construction site near here on Wednesday. Information gathered revealed that work was apace on the site located on a steep slope near Gandhinagar on the Ooty-Lovedale road.

Shortly before noon on Wednesday,eight women,most of them in their 30s,were engaged in excavating mud for the erection of a wall along the rear of a house, which had just come up. Suddenly an old toilet,which was above the spot,at which they were working, had cave in. With all the workers buried,an alarm was raised.Fire and rescue services personnel,along with police had rushed to the spot.However six of the women could not be saved.

People from the surroundings,who had gathered in large numbers said that,they had been surprised at the speed at which, construction activities were going on at the steep site.