Gujarat: IIT Delhi research student killed, three injured in cave-in at Lothal archaeological site

Ahmedabad: An IIT Delhi student died and three others were injured after soil collapsed on them when they entered a pit near the archaeological site of Lothal in Gujarat for research on Wednesday morning, police said.

Surabhi Verma (23), a PhD scholar at IIT Delhi, and the other victims were at the ancient Indus Valley civilisation site, some 80 km from Ahmedabad, to do research work when the cave-in occurred, he said.

A team of four researchers, two from IIT Delhi and as many from IIT Gandhinagar, were near the archaeological remains of the Harappan port town of Lothal to collect soil samples for study, said Superintendent of Police (Rural) Om Prakash Jat.

All four went inside a 10-foot-deep pit dug up for the purpose when its wall collapsed, burying them under a mound of soil, the police officer said.

“A researcher from IIT Delhi, identified as Surabhi Verma, died on the spot. Three others were rescued and rushed to the hospital where their condition was stable,” he said.