Rajshahi University: 9 hurt as roof of under-construction auditorium collapses

Nine workers were injured after the roof of an under-construction auditorium of a dormitory collapsed at Rajshahi University today.

Three of the injured labourers were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital while two others were admitted to RU Medical Center, fire service and RU officials said.

The dormitory -- AHM Kamaruzzaman Hall -- is also being constructed near Madar Bux Hall on the campus.

Photo: Anwar Ali/Star

According to the sources, some 11 labourers were at the site at the time of the collapse at 12:00pm.

The authorities traced nine of them, five were taken to the hospitals and four took first aid. Two labourers remained missing.

Photo: Anwar Ali/Star

Eight units of fire service launched a rescue operation suspecting the two missing laboourers might have been trapped at the site.

The rescue operation was continuing till the filing of this report around 5:00pm.

The firefighters attributed the collapse to "an engineering fault".

"It is clear that the collapse was due to an engineering fault," said Md Wahedul Islam, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defense in Rajshahi.

"But a thorough investigation is needed to determine the fault. It may be either weak pillars or weak shuttering for roof pasting," he said.

The roof fell apart with the beams and pillars while the labourers were pasting it, the fire service official said.

RU authorities employed the construction farm "Mazid and Sons" to construct a ten-storied building of AHM Kamaruzzaman Hall, said pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Humayun Kabir.

RU authorities have called an emergency meeting this evening with all stakeholders to determine how the incident occurred and assess the damages, said pro-VC Prof Sultan-ul Islam.

Meanwhile, some students demonstrated in front of the collapsed building protesting the RU authority's alleged involvement in allowing irregularities in construction works.

They also demanded the safety of construction workers.

This correspondent could not reach any official of RU Engineering department over the phone.

The fire service officials said they found no one from the department and the construction farm on the spot.