Daijiworld Media Network – Vellore

Vellore, Sep 11: Three workers were killed and 11 others injured after the roof slab of an under-construction church collapsed while concrete was being poured at Mandi Krishnapuram near Katpadi on Thursday night.

The incident occurred at the construction site of a Church of South India building. According to officials, workers were engaged in pouring concrete for the roof when the approximately 20-foot-high steel scaffolding and supporting framework suddenly gave way, bringing down the roof structure and burying several workers under concrete debris, bricks and other construction material.

Rescue operations were launched immediately following the collapse. Personnel from the fire department, police, district administration and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the operation to locate and rescue workers trapped beneath the debris.

An NDRF team from Arakkonam reached the site and assisted the local authorities in the rescue efforts. The operation was coordinated by Vellore District Collector P S Leela Alex.

The injured workers were shifted by ambulance to Vellore Government Medical College Hospital, Christian Medical College Hospital and a hospital in Chittoor in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh for treatment. The district collector said at least eight of the injured workers were in stable condition.

Authorities have ordered an inquiry into the incident to determine the cause of the structural collapse and ascertain whether prescribed safety measures were followed during construction.

The inquiry will also examine the structural stability of the building, the support framework used during the concrete work and whether the builder had obtained the necessary approvals and building permits for the construction.