VELLORE: Three persons, including a building contractor, were killed after the roof slab of an under-construction church collapsed at Mandi Krishnapuram near Katpadi in Vellore district on Thursday.The deceased have been identified as John, 39, a building contractor from Bengaluru, Immanuel, 45, and Samuel, 45, daily-wage labourers from Andhra Pradesh.According to initial reports, the accident occurred when the roof under construction suddenly caved in, trapping several workers beneath the concrete and steel debris.As the site is situated near the Tamil Nadu–Andhra Pradesh border, rescue teams from both states, including police personnel, fire and rescue services, and revenue officials, rushed to the scene to carry out joint emergency operations.The teams rescued more than a dozen workers alive with injuries from under the wreckage and rushed to the Vellore Govt Medical College Hospital and the Christian Medical College (CMC) Hospital.Initial reports confirmed that three workers succumbed to their injuries.A 38-member team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was dispatched from Arakkonam to Katpadi to assist with the search and clearance operations.Rescue personnel continue to clear the wreckage to ensure no remaining workers are trapped underneath.Local authorities have registered a case, and an investigation into the cause of the structural failure is underway.Vellore district collector PS Leela Alex inspected the crash site to oversee the rescue operations.Speaking to the reporters, she said the administration will constitute a specialised committee to investigate the exact cause of the structural failure and ascertain whether the builder had secured all necessary regulatory approvals and building permits for the church’s construction.She assured that the administration will initiate strict legal action against the culprits based on the findings of the probe and confirmed that the administration has initiated financial relief measures for the victims and their families.
