Guest worker dies, 48 injured in Nandambakkam staircase collapse

A guest worker died and 48 others were injured after the landing of an iron staircase collapsed at a workers' accommodation facility in Shanti Nagar, Nandambakkam, late on Sunday night. The incident occurred when hundreds of workers gathered on the structure to watch and celebrate the IPL final.

The deceased worker was identified as Brinji Manjhi, 31, a native of Jharkhand. He was admitted to the Government Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital with critical injuries but succumbed to his wounds during the early hours of Monday.

The guest workers, who are employed by a private construction company, were residing in makeshift housing structures built with metal sheets in the Shanti Nagar area of Nandambakkam. Since Sunday was a holiday for the employees, many of them had gathered on the building’s iron staircases and landing area to watch the live cricket match on their mobile phones and other portable devices.

According to reports, more than 100 workers had crowded onto a single section of the staircase landing area. The iron structure collapsed due to the excessive load of the crowd. As a result of the sudden collapse, the workers fell from a height of nearly 15 feet, landing directly on top of one another and sustaining serious injuries.

Following the collapse, local residents and fellow workers immediately took up rescue efforts at the site and alerted the Nandambakkam police. The rescuers shifted 26 of the injured workers to the Government Kalaignar Centenary Hospital in Guindy for treatment. Another 22 injured workers were taken to the Ramachandra Medical Centre in Porur.

Hospital sources later confirmed that the remaining 48 injured workers are out of danger. The Nandambakkam police have registered a case and are currently investigating the incident. The investigation will look into the collapse of the iron structure at the makeshift housing facility.