Portico collapse at University of Hyderabad: Eleven workers injured

 Eleven workers were injured after the temporary support structure of a portico under construction collapsed at the University of Hyderabad campus. Following the incident, the students' union held a protest on Friday.

The accident occurred on Thursday night at a construction site within the UoH campus, injuring eleven construction workers, according to a university release issued on Friday.

The injured workers were taken to a hospital and later discharged, police said.

Under the direct supervision of an NDRF team, excavators cleared the debris, confirming that no worker was trapped in the rubble, UoH Registrar Devesh Nigam stated.

The construction of the building had been entrusted to the Central Public Works Department, he added.

CPWD officials explained that while finishing the portico work, accidental contact between the boom pump—used for transferring liquid concrete onto the slab—and the scaffolding resulted in the collapse of the support structure, leading to the accident, according to the university’s statement.

The Registrar further announced that a committee would be constituted by March 3 to investigate the circumstances that led to the incident, conduct a safety audit of the building under construction, and submit a report at the earliest.

The specific terms of reference for the inquiry will be finalised by Saturday.

The committee will also review the quality and safety of all other buildings under construction on campus and take necessary measures to prevent such incidents, he said.

The CPWD has been asked to submit a detailed report on the incident, outlining the corrective and preventive measures to be implemented at all construction sites on campus.

The university administration is also in the process of filing a complaint with the police, he added.

Meanwhile, the University of Hyderabad Students' Union staged a protest on Friday, demanding accountability from the administration and alleging negligence and mismanagement that led to the accident.

UoH Students' Union Vice President Akash Kumar said, "We held a protest and demanded a transparent and autonomous inquiry committee, including a High Court judge and representatives from the students' union."

Following the incident, the university has also taken steps to ensure that proper medical care is provided to the injured workers.

As per the MoU, the contractor/agency will bear the medical expenses, the varsity’s statement added.