Work-at-Height Incident: Two Dead, Four Critically Injured

Basic Incident Information

• Date of incident: 28 February 2026

• Location: Under-construction building, Subhash Nagar, Chembur, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

• Type of incident: Fall from height (approximately six storeys) involving multiple workers

Incident Description

On 28 February 2026, six construction labourers fell from the sixth floor of an under-construction building at Subhash Nagar in Chembur, Mumbai. One worker, identified as Ramallu, was declared dead on arrival at the hospital shortly after the incident.

An FIR has been registered against the contractor for failing to implement mandatory safety precautions at the site. The exact mechanism of the fall (e.g. failure of working platform, edge protection, or scaffolding) is not detailed, but the incident involved multiple workers simultaneously falling from height, indicating serious deficiencies in fall prevention measures.

Casualties and Medical Status

• Fatalities:

  • Ramallu – declared dead on arrival at hospital on 28 February.

  • Vijay Morya, 35 – succumbed to injuries at around 9:30 p.m. on 1 March at Sion Hospital.

• Vijay Morya’s injuries and treatment:

  • Sustained a crushed left hand, perforated bowel, kidney damage, and a fractured thigh bone (femur).

  • Initially treated at Rajawadi Hospital, where surgery was performed for the femur fracture.

  • Later shifted to Sion Hospital in critical condition, where surgeons removed a damaged kidney and repaired the bowel tear; despite interventions, his condition deteriorated and he passed away late on 1 March.

• Injured workers (four):

  • Gunadhar Roy, 22 – severe head injury, multiple fractures including heel bone fracture; unconscious with dilated pupils and no brain stem reflexes, intubated and on ventilator support at Sion Hospital with poor prognosis.

  • Kush Roy, 30 – head injury with subarachnoid haemorrhage, grade 3 liver laceration, fractured jaw compromising airway, and thigh bone fracture; underwent tracheostomy and is on ventilator support but currently described as stable at Sion Hospital.

  • Ramesh Pratap Roy, 25 – multiple injuries, reported stable.

  • Sandip Gopal Roy, 27 – multiple injuries, reported stable.

Emergency Response and Legal/Regulatory Action

• Injured workers were first taken to Rajawadi Hospital, with critical cases later referred to Sion Hospital for advanced care.

• Police have registered an FIR against the contractor, citing failure to follow mandatory safety precautions at the construction site.

• Further investigation into the precise cause, site safety conditions, and compliance with construction safety regulations is ongoing.

Preliminary Learnings and Safety Focus

Although detailed technical causes are not specified, the incident highlights serious shortcomings in work-at-height safety management on construction projects:

• Adequate fall prevention systems (edge protection, guardrails, properly designed and erected scaffolds, safe working platforms, and access systems) must be in place wherever workers are exposed to height risks.

• Work-at-height equipment should be regularly inspected and maintained, with clear responsibility assigned for checking platforms, scaffolds, formwork decks, and lifelines before and during use.

• Contractors must ensure that mandatory safety precautions—such as harness use where appropriate, safe anchorage points, and controlled loading on platforms—are implemented and enforced through supervision and toolbox talks.

• Site-specific risk assessments and method statements for high-rise construction work should identify scenarios where multiple workers could be exposed to a common mode failure (e.g. collapse of a temporary platform) and build in redundancy and safeguards to prevent catastrophic multi-person falls.

• Robust enforcement of legal requirements and proactive oversight from regulators and clients is essential to deter unsafe cost-cutting and ensure that minimum safety standards are consistently met on high-rise construction projects.

Status

• Death toll: 2 workers confirmed dead (Ramallu and Vijay Morya).

• Injuries: 4 workers remain hospitalised; at least one in critical condition with poor prognosis.

• Legal: FIR filed against the contractor for failure to follow mandatory safety precautions; further police and regulatory investigation underway.