Two die in wall collapse in Chennai
Migrants from West Bengal working on TNSCB project
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-09-26 02:47 GMT
Chennai: Two migrant labourers, aged 45 and 36, died after a portion of a wall collapsed on them while they were working on a TN Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) project near Chetpet on Thursday. The deceased are Robhin Pahan, 35 and Sunil Pahan, 46, natives of Kumarganj in Dinajpur district, West Bengal. Locals said that the TNSCB building at Kandhan Street in Shenoy Nagar, Chetpet, was demolished two years ago due to its dilapidated condition.
The occupants in the building, around 32 families were relocated and a new structure is to be erected there, for which works were underway for the past two months. Police said that 11 workers, all migrant labourers, were working in the project on Thursday. The project was contracted to Sivagnanam by the TNSCB.
On Thursday, at around 11.30 am, Rohit and Sunil were breaking down an extended portion of the Arul Shakti Mariappan temple when blocks of concrete fell on them.
“By the time workers managed to clear the debris and pull the two out of the rubble, they were dead,” Gopal, a local who witnessed the proceedings, said.
Chetpet police and rescue personnel reached the spot on information and rushed the two of them to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital (KMCH) for post mortem. Police cordoned off the area to prevent curious locals from gawking at the site.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Bipul, 22, who is related to both victims said that the deceased were married and their families stay in West Bengal while the men worked in Chennai. He said, “ We will transport the bodies to our native place after post mortem as it is more practical than the families coming down here.”
Chetpet police Inspector K.Mariappan said that a case has been registered and two persons were so far detained in connection with the case. Further investigations are on.