By Matters India
Vellore, September 11, 2026 : Three workers were killed and several others injured after the roof slab of an under-construction church collapsed on September 10 in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district, officials said.
The accident occurred at Mandi Krishnapuram, a village located near the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border, while workers were pouring concrete for the church’s roof. The church being constructed belongs to the Church of South India.
More than 14 labourers were reportedly at the site when the structure suddenly gave way, trapping workers beneath tonnes of concrete and steel debris.
Rescue teams from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, including police, fire and rescue personnel, and revenue officials, rushed to the scene and launched a joint operation to clear the rubble and search for survivors, local media reported.
Authorities said more than a dozen workers were pulled from the wreckage and taken to hospitals in Vellore for treatment. Several of the injured were admitted to the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital and Christian Medical College Hospital.
Among those killed were John, 39, a building contractor from Bengaluru, and two daily-wage labourers from Andhra Pradesh, identified as Immanuel, 45, and Samuel, 45, according to officials.
Vellore Collector Leela Alex said authorities feared one more person could still be trapped beneath the collapsed concrete structure. She told NDTV that all other rescued workers were safe.
A 38-member team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was dispatched to assist with search and recovery efforts.
Officials said the contractors associated with the project were also injured and receiving treatment in hospital.
The district administration has ordered an inquiry into the collapse. Authorities will investigate whether all required construction approvals and safety standards were in place at the site.
Officials said compensation and relief assistance would be provided to the families of those killed and injured in the accident.
The cause of the collapse was not immediately known. Investigators are expected to examine structural and procedural factors as part of the inquiry.
(Photo YouTube screengrab)