Tragedy in Tolichowki: 2 workers die, 3 injured in scaffolding collapse

Hyderabad: Two workers died and three were injured after a bamboo scaffolding collapsed at an under-construction six-floor building in Tolichowki on Thursday. Although the building had permission for only three floors, three additional floors were reportedly constructed in violation of the approved plan. The incident occurred around 3:30 pm near Al Hasnath Colony when a makeshift bamboo railing, tied to a cement parapet on the fifth floor, gave way under the weight of workers sitting on it. Police said four labourers lost their balance when the poorly secured structure collapsed, sending them crashing to the ground from the fifth floor along with a portion of the railing.
The deceased were identified as Adi Narayana (47) and Tirupathi Rao (31), both natives of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh. Two other workers — M Ramesh (34), a native of Odisha, and R Ramesh (29) from Srikakulam — sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital.D Jagan, deputy commissioner of Golconda circle, told TOI that permission had been granted to construct only three floors, yet an additional three floors were reportedly built in violation of the approval.According to Asif Nagar ACP B. Kishan Kumar, preliminary findings suggest the scaffolding was weak or improperly secured. "The bamboo railing appears to have collapsed due to excess weight and possibly improper construction or wet plastering work," he said.Falling debris also caused significant damage at the ground level. An autorickshaw and a car parked near the building were struck by the collapsing railing. Lal Ahmed (50), an auto driver who was sitting inside his parked vehicle, was injured when debris hit the cabin; he was treated at a hospital and later discharged. Another parked auto and a passing car were also damaged, though the car's occupant escaped unhurt.Police said all the labourers involved were migrant workers living in Gudimalkapur, Mehdipatnam, who had been working at the site for over a year. Investigators identified the building owner as Suleiman, who had handed the site over to a construction company for development. Authorities are currently questioning the site supervisor, identified as Nasar.Eyewitnesses described the incident as sudden and shocking. Rizwan, a local resident, told TOI that the workers were sitting on the scaffolding when the structure suddenly gave way with a loud noise. "Within seconds, they fell along with debris from the building," he said.GHMC officials have confirmed construction violations. Authorities had noticed the deviations in Nov last year and served a notice in Dec directing the demolition of the unauthorised floors. While major construction had reportedly stopped, plastering work continued, during which the accident occurred. GHMC is now verifying all building permissions and related records. Police said action would be taken against those responsible for the unauthorised construction and safety lapses.