Three workers were killed and 11 others injured after the roof of an under-construction church collapsed in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district on Thursday. The incident occurred at Mandi Krishnapuram near Katpadi while workers were pouring concrete for the church roof.
According to police, workers were engaged in pouring concrete on the under-construction church roof when the roof slab suddenly collapsed. A steel scaffold and support framework, approximately 20 feet high, also collapsed during the incident.
Several workers became trapped under heavy concrete and construction debris. After receiving information about the incident, local administration, police and fire department teams reached the site and began rescue operations.
Three workers died in the accident, and rescue teams recovered their bodies from the debris. Eleven workers were injured and were immediately taken for treatment at different hospitals.
The injured workers were admitted to Vellore Government Medical College Hospital and Christian Medical College Hospital. Some injured workers were also sent for treatment to a hospital in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.
According to the Vellore district collector, the condition of eight of the injured workers was reported to be stable. The administration is monitoring their treatment and condition.
Police said the building involved in the accident was being constructed for the Church of South India. The steel scaffolding and support framework being used during construction suddenly collapsed.
A large amount of concrete and debris spread across the construction site after the accident. Rescue teams immediately began operations after receiving information that workers were trapped under the debris.
In view of the seriousness of the accident, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was sent to the site from Arakkonam. The NDRF team worked with the district administration, police and fire department to rescue people trapped under the debris.
Late Thursday night, the NDRF team also reached the site with a dog squad. The team searched the debris for people who might have been trapped. Debris was removed carefully during the rescue operation to reach anyone trapped inside.
The injured workers rescued from the debris were given initial treatment in ambulances before being taken to hospitals.
The Vellore district administration said an investigation committee would be formed to determine the cause of the accident. The committee will examine the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the under-construction church roof and why the steel scaffolding and support framework suddenly collapsed.
The investigation will also examine technical and administrative aspects related to the construction work, including whether safety standards were being followed at the site.
The administration will also examine whether the builder had obtained all necessary approvals and building permits for construction of the church. Construction-related documents and the approval process will also be included in the investigation.
Officials said the actual cause of the accident and the circumstances responsible for it will become clear only after the investigation.
The investigation committee will also examine the condition of the steel scaffolding and support framework being used at the time of the accident and the stage to which construction work had progressed.
Relief and rescue agencies continued operations at the site following the accident. Teams from the local administration, police, fire department and NDRF remained engaged in removing debris and searching for people who might have been trapped.
A dog squad was also used to search sections of the debris where a person could potentially have been trapped. The administration's priority was to provide timely medical treatment to the injured and complete the rescue operation safely.
The investigation committee's report will determine the actual cause of the accident and whether any negligence was involved.
