Contractor killed, four workers hurt as roof shuttering collapses in Modinagar

Four workers were injured and a contractor, 28, was killed when the temporary frame holding up a concrete roof slab gave way at a construction site in Modinagar, Ghaziabad district, on Saturday, 7 November, police said.

Shuttering is the temporary frame of planks and props that holds wet concrete in place until it sets. If it is overloaded or badly braced, it can give way under the weight of the slab, bringing down everyone working on and beneath it.

The injured were taken to hospital. Police said they were looking into the cause of the collapse. Construction-site accidents are among the most common causes of work-related deaths in India, and safety rules on bracing, inspection and protective gear are often ignored on small private sites.