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Six workers, including five Indians and a Pakistani, were killed and the same number injured when a building under construction collapsed in Sharjah, the police said.
Rescuers battled for several hours to free the workers who were trapped under the debris in al Dhaid, 55 kilometres east of Sharjah on Thursday.
The injured have been admitted to al Dhaid hospital. One of them was in serious condition and has been shifted to the Kuwaiti Hospital.
The roof of the government youth centre building collapsed on top of the workers due to weak scaffolding. Sharjah police said it will take legal action for negligence.
The five Indians who were killed were identified as Jasun Singh, Jasun Singh, Rajendar Singh, Youquob Khan and Krishna. Two Indians have the same name.
The Pakistani killed was identified as Alangir, the Gulf News said.
The paper said the police rescued Soyash, Khan Seraj, Mohammed Abdul Wahid and Riyadh Khan, all Indians, and two other Pakistanis from the debris.
The tragedy has raised questions about safety for construction workers at such sites here.
In August 2002 nine workers were killed and 19 injured when a roof under construction collapsed in Jebel Ali. Earlier the same year, the dome of another building in Sharjah collapsed during construction claiming five lives and injuring seven workers.
In another accident in Dubai Dry Docks in March 2002 more than 25 workers were killed when seawater flooded the ship repair facility.
More than a million Indians work in the UAE.