New Delhi, March 9 (IANS): At least one labourer was killed and four others were seriously injured when they were buried under loose soil at a construction site near the AIIMS here on Wednesday, a senior fire official said.

According to the officials, four labourers were trapped when a mound of soil caved in. The soil was dug out during the construction of new buildings as part of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) expansion plan.

"The accident occurred around 12.15 p.m. near the recently constructed AIIMS maternity and child ward. One labourer was killed while four others were injured and are in critical condition. All of them have been admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital," the fire official told IANS.

"The construction work was being carried out by a private construction company. We have kept everything ready at our trauma centre in case the injured are brought to the AIIMS," institute spokesman Amit Gupta told IANS.

The fire department said the search and rescue operation was still on at the site.