One person was killed and at least four others were feared trapped under the concrete mixture and steel when the roof of a church under construction collapsed on Wednesday night.
The construction of St. Peter’s Church at Xavier Colony, west of Vaeinthaankulam new bus stand, was on for the past several months. Concreting of the roof was going on since Wednesday morning. When the scaffolding gave way around 8.45 p.m., the wet roof crashed down, trapping several construction workers under the concrete mixture and steel.
While 12 of them, who had sustained injuries, were rescued by other workers at the spot, and sent to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TVMCH), at least five others were trapped under the rubble. Fire and Rescue Services personnel, accompanied by police, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police T.P. Suresh Kumar and Palayamkottai Assistant Commissioner of Police G.S. Madhavan, commenced the rescue operations within 20 minutes.
As Fire and Rescue Services personnel did not have heavy equipment, it hampered rescue operation a lot as they had to cut the steel rods with electric cutters and manually remove the concrete mixture to reach the victims under the rubble.
Late in the night, the rescue team recovered the body of one worker, Edison (39) of Rajaoor near Nagercoil, from the rubble.
Collector M. Karunakaran, who arrived at the spot around 9.35 p.m., expedited the rescue operations, and was present at the site till 10 p.m. He also visited the injured at the TVMCH.
