Assam CM Himanta Mourns Deaths of Nine Workers in Chennai Accident
Assam CM leads tributes as migrant laborers perish in tragic scaffolding fall.
In a heartbreaking incident that has cast a pall over festive preparations across India, nine migrant workers from Assam lost their lives when an under-construction steel arch catastrophically collapsed at the North Chennai Thermal Power Station in Ennore on Tuesday. The tragedy unfolded at the expansion site in Minjur, Thiruvallur district, where the laborers were toiling at heights, only for the scaffolding to give way in a split-second nightmare that claimed lives and shattered families far from home.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma broke the devastating news via a poignant post on X late Tuesday, confirming the victims' origins and vowing swift action to repatriate their remains. "Nine migrant workers from Assam have reportedly succumbed to death after falling down at a construction site... We are coordinating with authorities in Tamil Nadu to bring back their mortal remains at the earliest," Sarma wrote, his words laced with grief for the breadwinners from humble backgrounds. Four hailed from the hilly terrains of Karbi Anglong district, while five were from the verdant fields of Hojai—regions already grappling with economic hardships that drive thousands southward for better prospects.
The names etched in sorrow: Munna Kemprai, Sorbojit Thausen, Phaibit Fanglu, Bidayum Porbosa, Paban Sorong, Prayanto Sorong, Suman Kharikap, Dimaraj Thousen, and Dipak Raijung—ordinary men whose dreams ended in a heap of twisted metal and concrete. "My deepest condolences to their families and well-wishers," the CM added, a sentiment echoed nationwide as news rippled through social media, sparking an outpouring of prayers and calls for stricter safety norms on mega-projects.
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Eyewitness accounts paint a scene of sheer pandemonium: One surviving worker, still reeling from the horror, recounted how "everything else just collapsed" in an instant, trapping colleagues beneath unforgiving debris. Rescue teams battled for hours amid the rubble, pulling out five injured souls—one critically hurt and fighting for life in a Chennai hospital—while the death toll stood firm at nine. The site, part of a crucial 800 MW capacity addition to Tamil Nadu's power grid, now stands frozen, a stark reminder of the human cost behind India's infrastructure boom.
Leaders across the spectrum rallied in solidarity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visibly moved, announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia from the PM's National Relief Fund for each bereaved family, underscoring the nation's shared loss. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, on whose watch the accident occurred, upped the ante with Rs 10 lakh compensation per family and directives to fast-track body transport, ensuring no logistical hurdles compound the agony. As investigations kick off—fingers pointing to possible lapses in structural integrity or safety protocols—this double blow on the eve of Durga Puja festivities serves as a grim wake-up call. For the villages in Assam awaiting their sons' return, the silence is deafening, but the resolve for justice burns brighter than ever.
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