CHENNAI: One person was killed and over 25 injured after scaffolding at an under-construction building in Perungudi collapsed on Saturday evening. The deceased had not been identified, said police.
Police said the incident occurred around 7.30 pm. Five fire tenders rushed to the spot. Most of the injured were construction workers, who were at the site. The construction site is owned by one Palanivel of Coimbatore.
Police said an eight-storey private hospital was under construction and workers were trying to raise an iron and wooden platform on which two generators would be placed. As they were standing on the scaffolding and placing iron rods, the scaffolding collapsed and they fell. Workers below were also trapped and hurt, police said. Paramedics along with police personnel, fire and rescue officers and National Disaster Management Authority officials rushed to the spot to help rescue the trapped persons.
A senior police officer at the spot said the workers were trying to fix the iron rods in huge plastic cans filled with partially solidified mixture when the incident occurred. Some heavy iron rods fell on neighbouring buildings creating panic. Ten of the injured were rushed to the government hospital while others were taken to a private hospital nearby.