Jharkhand man crushed to death in IPL celebration tragedy in Chennai

CHENNAI: The celebration over Royal Challengers Bangalore retaining the IPL title in the final on Sunday night turned tragic miles away in Chennai, after a 31-year-old guest worker from Jharkhand died and nearly 50 others were injured when a staircase at a construction site in Nandambakkam on which they had crowded while watching the match live collapsed.

Hundreds of guest workers employed at the construction site and staying in temporary accommodation at Shanti Nagar in Nandambakkam were watching the final match between the Bangalore team and Gujarat Titans, held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on their mobile phones. It being a holiday, many had gathered near an iron staircase, leaning against its handrail and cheering enthusiastically.

After RCB’s victory, more than 100 workers reportedly crowded onto a single section of the staircase ramp and leaned against the handrail while celebrating, said the police. Due to the excessive load, the iron railing and part of the staircase gave way, and dozens of workers fell from a height of around 15 feet.

While the height from which they fell was relatively low, people falling on top of one another seems to have turned it into a fatal accident. Other workers and residents alerted the Nandambakkam police, and the injured persons were rushed to hospitals nearby.

Among them was Brinji Manjhi (31) from Jharkhand, who suffered critical injuries and was later shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Monday.

Of the injured, 26 were admitted to the government hospital in Guindy, while 22 others were taken to a private hospital in Porur for treatment. Officials said they were out of danger and are expected to be discharged within a few days.

The Nandambakkam police have registered a case and launched an investigation.