Ludhiana factory collapse: Owner’s errand man who had served in factory for 22 years among 13 dead

Bahadur, a native of Achham district in Nepal leaves behind three sons and two daughters (all below 11 years) and a wife. Hailing from a small village in Nepal where there is no electricity supply, Bahadur had come to Ludhiana to earn a livelihood at a young age.

Dhan Bahadur Phul, the 37-year-old errand man of the owner of the plastic factory was one among the thirteen people who lost their lives.

Family members of Bahadur (top) in an inconsolable state. He was among the 13 who died in the tragedy.(HT Photo)

Bahadur, a native of Achham district in Nepal leaves behind three sons and two daughters (all below 11 years) and a wife. Hailing from a small village in Nepal where there is no electricity supply, Bahadur had come to Ludhiana to earn a livelihood at a young age. He had been working in the factory for over 22 years and had earned the reputation of being an “all-rounder” owing to his knack for getting work done and his adeptness at public dealing.

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Phul did everything that he was entrusted with, ranging from driving to working on machines to delivering goods or packages and depositing money.

Married for 16 years, Bahadur was the lone breadwinner of the family. “Owing to his cordial relations, built over the last two decades, with the factory owner, the latter even bore the medical expenses of his family members on several occasions,” said Hasiya Bahadur, the younger brother of the deceased who also worked in the same factory. He had also brought his wife to Ludhiana last year to get treatment for her stone problem.

Bahadur along with his brother had gone to Nepal to perform religious rituals at his home on October 28. While Hasiya stayed there, Dhan Bahadur came back to India on November 8. While Bahadur’s body was recovered from the debris on Monday night itself, the last rites were performed on Wednesday evening as it took his brother two days to reach Ludhiana.

When asked about the compensation for the loss of his brother, Hasiya’s voice choked for a while. “He has left behind five small children; there is no breadwinner in the family. The government must provide a government job and compensation so that his children can afford education,” Hasiya says.

As the body of Bahadur was being loaded into the ambulance to be taken to the cremation ground, his two sons (8 and 5 years old) stood around 10 feet away silent as a grave.