An IIT Delhi PHD Scholar died while three sustained injuries during a research excavation in Lothal, Harappan archaeological site, said officials.

The deceased has been identified as Surabhi, a PHD scholar in IIT Delhi, said police adding her research supervisor, Yama Dixit, an assistant professor at IIT-Delhi’s Centre for Atmospheric Sciences sustained injuries in the incident.

Ahmedabad police said the scholars had been conducting research of archaeological sites across the country. On Wednesday morning they went to Lothal, Harappan archaeological site.

Police said the accident occurred around 11 a.m. while the researchers were collecting samples from a pit they had dug. The area was marshy, and the pit suddenly collapsed, burying one researcher, who died instantly.

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Prof. Dixit, who was also in the pit, along with another researcher standing outside, were rescued by the police.

Police said that a team of four researchers two from IIT Delhi and from IIT Gandhinagar had gone to collect soil for a research. “The team from Delhi, along with students, had dug a 15-foot trench using a JCB machine before entering it to collect samples for their climate change research.” Said the police.