Four Odisha labourers were killed and three others were severely injured when a multi-storey under-construction building collapsed in Chennai on Saturday evening.
Sources said only labourers from Odisha were engaged in the construction of the 12-storey building at Molibhakam in the West Chennai. It is suspected that more Odia workers trapped under the debris of the collapsed building. According to reports, three labourers from Gajapati district are still missing in the incident. The missing labourers, lokalapu lokeshu(25) of Ranipentha village and Odi Paparao(50) and his daughter Odi Roja(22) of Khandaba, were engaged in the building work before collapse. Notably, as many as 21 dead bodies have been recovered and 14 seriously injured people have been rescued so far from the debris of the 12-storey building. Paralakhemundi MlA K Surjya Rao said he had a conversation with the rescue team head, who would inform about the three labourers soon after any clue is received. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep grief over the deaths and declared Rs 5 lakh compensation for each of those killed and Rs 50, 000 for each injured in the building collapse. He also directed the labour Secretary to coordinate with Tamil Nadu Government to provide treatment and other facilities to the injured persons.