A 42-year-old guest worker from West Bengal tragically lost his life on Monday evening after a wall collapsed on him during ongoing storm water drain (SWD) construction in RA Puram.The deceased, identified as Samar Sardar, was part of a team digging trenches along Boat Club Road, adjacent to the compound wall of a private company. The team was engaged in trench work as part of the city’s flood mitigation efforts when the wall suddenly gave way and collapsed.
According to initial reports, the collapse occurred while the workers were digging close to the wallâs foundation. Sardar was trapped under the heavy debris, and despite his co-workersâ desperate attempts to pull him out, their efforts were in vain.
Responding swiftly to the distress call, personnel from the Abhiramapuram police station and local fire services reached the site, cleared the debris, and retrieved Sardarâs body. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared brought dead.
His body was later sent to the Government Hospital in Royapettah for a post-mortem examination. Police have launched an investigation into the incident and are expected to verify whether safety protocols were followed at the work site.
This tragic incident has once again raised concerns about the safety of guest workers involved in civic construction projects in the city.