BERHAMPUR: A 53-year-old construction worker died after falling from the roof of a school building in Champagada village within Chandapur police limits in Nayagarh district here on Sunday.
Sources said the deceased, Subala Rana, along with four other workers was engaged in construction of additional classrooms on the first floor of the school when he accidentally fell down. On being rushed to Basant Manjari healthcare centre at Chandapur, doctors declared him dead.
Later in the day, his family members cremated the body. Local sources claimed, the labourers were working without safety gear under the supervision of one Manmath Bhola, and the body was hurriedly cremated to hush up the case. “The deceased is a bonafide construction worker but his family may not receive the benefit, if the matter is not inquired,” sources in the labour office said.
Chandapur IIC Dilip Kumar Swain said police did not receive any complaint from the deceased’s family or the hospital. Chief medical officer of the hospital Dr Trilochan Barik said they did not inform the matter to police since the deceased was not taken inside the hospital.
While Bhola could not be contacted for his comments, Ranapur block engineer Basant Kumar Sahu informed that following Rana’s death, construction activities were stopped and the matter is being looked into.