A construction worker, who was residing at a shed constructed at a site in Bengaluru’s Mahalaxmi Layout, died after one side of the structure collapsed due to heavy rain in the city.  At around 5.30 am on Friday, the shed constructed by Cicon Pvt Ltd for its construction workers collapsed. Puran Pujari, a 19-year-old construction worker from Bihar, died due to the impact. Two other workers residing in the shed, Bhawani Singh (21) and Mithun (22), sustained grievous injuries. The three men were rushed to KC General Hospital, where Puran was declared brought dead. The other two men are currently undergoing treatment.

According to the Mahalaxmi Layout Police, the construction site is located near the ISKCON Temple, and the shed was constructed with the support of an existing wall, which was old. 

Due to heavy rains on Thursday night, waterlogging was seen on the road leading up to the construction site. “It was also raining heavily this morning. The old wall, which was used to support the shed, collapsed. The debris fell on the workers who were sleeping inside,” the Mahalaxmi Layout Police said. 

Police said that the construction company has not been booked for criminal negligence and that the death was registered as an accident in the police station’s books. “The shed was constructed using the supporting wall. The wall collapsed because of the rain. Prima facie, we have not concluded negligence,” the police added. 

The police have contacted Puran Pujari’s family in Bihar, who will arrive in Bengaluru to perform the last rites. 

Heavy rains lashed several parts of Bengaluru on Thursday evening. The rains, which began at around 6 pm, continued well into midnight. Although flash floods were not reported, water logging was reported in Mahalaxmi Layout and Koramangala. However, the rainwater drained away by Friday morning. This is the only casualty reported so far due to Thursday’s rains.