A roof shuttering collapse at a house under construction in Naya Bhojpur, Buxar district, killed Kajipur panchayat sarpanch and contractor Surendra Prajapati, 55, and seriously injured two workers on Tuesday, according to a report by the Times of India. The collapse occurred while work was under way on the roof projection of a house in Adarsh Nagar.
Prajapati had visited the under-construction house, which belonged to his relative Abhayanand Prajapati, to offer suggestions to the masons and workers. He was also supervising another construction project around a kilometre away. According to the report, construction activity was in progress when the shuttering supporting the roof suddenly gave way.
Prajapati and the two workers fell when the structure collapsed and suffered serious injuries. Local residents reached the site and helped transport the injured to a private hospital in Dumraon, where they received initial treatment.
Doctors later referred Prajapati to a higher medical centre because his condition was critical. He died while undergoing treatment. The two injured workers remained under treatment, and their condition was reported to be serious.
The incident places the risks of residential construction work in focus, particularly during stages involving temporary support systems such as roof shuttering. These temporary structures hold wet concrete and other construction loads until the roof gains sufficient strength. A failure during this stage can cause workers and others on or near the site to fall with the collapsing structure.
The report identified Prajapati as both the elected head of Kajipur panchayat and a contractor by profession. His presence at the site was linked to his relationship with the house owner and his involvement in advising the workers. The account did not provide details about the design of the shuttering, the materials used, the contractor responsible for the work, or whether any inspection had taken place before the collapse.
The two injured workers were being treated after receiving initial medical attention in Dumraon. No further details about their identities or the nature of their injuries were provided in the report.
The collapse also underlines how construction activity on private residential properties can become hazardous to workers and visitors when temporary structures fail. In this case, the incident occurred at a relative’s house during an active roof-construction operation, rather than at a completed building or an occupied residential premises.
The Times of India report did not state whether authorities had ordered an inquiry, registered a case, or announced any action regarding the collapse. The immediate next step reported was the continued medical treatment of the two injured workers.
