Nine young men from Assam, all belonging to the Dimasa tribe, lost their lives in a horrific construction site accident in north Chennai on Tuesday night. They were working on the Ennore Special Economic Zone thermal power project in Thiruvallur district when the scaffolding supporting a massive concrete arch gave way, plunging them nearly 30 feet to their deaths.

The incident occurred while the workers were building an arch more than 20 feet above the ground. According to eyewitnesses, including fellow worker Provit Thaosen, a sudden loud noise—“like a pipe bursting”—was heard before the entire structure crumbled. His elder brother, Sorbojit Thaosen, was among those trapped on the arch when it collapsed. “We still don’t understand how it happened. Everything seemed normal until that moment,” he said, recounting the terrifying accident.

The victims were all migrant workers from remote villages of Assam, who had left their homes in search of better livelihood opportunities. Many lived in cramped rented rooms near the construction site, sharing space with fellow villagers. Their monthly wages ranged from ₹19,000 for newcomers to ₹25,000 for experienced workers—earnings that far exceeded what they could make back home.

Among the deceased were several pairs of brothers and cousins, highlighting how entire families from Assam depend on construction jobs in other states. For many, Chennai was just one of many stops in a cycle of migration dictated by lack of work and low wages in Assam. “More than 80% of the men from our village work outside. If there was work at home, why would we risk our lives in other states?” said Phawlang, cousin of one of the victims, who rushed to Chennai from another part of the city.

At Chennai’s Stanley Government Hospital, grief-stricken relatives waited to claim the bodies on Wednesday morning. Families recalled the personal sacrifices of the deceased: Sorbojit Thaosen had been working across different project sites for years, while another victim, Paban Sarang, left behind a wife and young daughter in Hojai district.

The six other men who died were identified as Munna Kemprai, Phaibit Fanglu, Bidayum Porbosa, Suman Kharikap, Dimaraj Thousen, and Dipak Raijung. Their bodies are expected to be sent back to Assam by Thursday for final rites.

The tragedy has once again drawn attention to the unsafe working conditions faced by migrant labourers in India’s booming construction sector. Despite contributing to massive infrastructure projects, workers often live in harsh conditions, with little job security or safety assurances. Families of the deceased now face an uncertain future, dependent on meagre compensations and struggling with the emotional toll of losing their breadwinners.

For Assam’s villages, this accident is not just about lives lost in a distant city—it is a stark reminder of the systemic lack of opportunities that forces thousands of young men to migrate in search of survival, often at great personal risk.