NEW DELHI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and 14 others injured after an under-construction roof of a church collapsed in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, officials said Friday.
The roof collapsed Thursday evening at Manju Krishnapuram in Thiruvalam of Vellore district, about 135 km west of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu.
Concreting work on the church roof was underway when the steel scaffolding and supporting framework suddenly collapsed, burying workers beneath heavy concrete debris, a local government official said.
"Two people, the building contractor and a worker, were killed in the incident, while another worker's body was later recovered from the debris."
According to the official, four workers sustained severe injuries and were admitted to the hospital, adding that at least 10 others suffered minor injuries and were rescued.
Officials said that immediately after the incident, police, fire services and disaster response force personnel rushed to the spot to carry out rescue work.
Police have registered a case and ordered an investigation to ascertain the cause of the roof collapse. ■