6 workers die in under-construction bridge collapse in UP, assistant engineer suspended

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took immediate cognisance of the tragedy and ordered compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 assistance for the injured. 

VIDEO | Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh: At least six feared dead and several injured as a portion of an under-construction bridge over Betwa river collapsed during storm. Rescue operations underway. More details are awaited.

(Source: Third Party)

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The incident occurred around 3 am between Parsani and Kandaur villages under the Lalpura police station area, around 25 km from the district headquarters. 

The deceased were identified as Lokendra (22), Kuldeep Nishad (19), Sawant Yadav (28) and Sabhajeet (30) from Banda, and Pushpendra Singh Chauhan (34) and Rajesh Pal (42) from Hamirpur, police said.

Following rescue operations, police said three men were pulled out alive from under the debris.

“During preliminary inquiry, it was found that the victims were working when one of the slabs collapsed on them,” said Hamirpur Additional Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar Verma.

Officials said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the district administration had issued warnings on Thursday evening regarding strong winds, storms and rainfall. Early Friday, as per the MeT department, strong winds reaching 100 kmph, heavy rain and thunderstorms impacted 20 districts, including Lucknow, Varanasi and Prayagraj.

Officials present at the site after part of an under-construction bridge collapsed following a storm over the Betwa river, leaving six labourers dead and three others injured, in Hamirpur district, Uttar Pradesh, early Friday. (PTI photo)

The 800-metre-long bridge has been under construction since 2024 and is intended to connect Mora Kandar and Kandaur villages in Kurara block of Hamirpur district. It was being built by a private contractor engaged by the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation.

Mithlesh Kumar, Joint Managing Director (Civil) of the Corporation, said Assistant Engineer Gajendra Chaudhary has been suspended and a departmental inquiry ordered against Deputy Project Manager Dileep Kumar, posted in Hamirpur, over the incident.

He said the department has also constituted a three-member committee to probe the collapse:

“The committee has been tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the incident and determining the cause of the collapse.”

Officials said roughly 60% of the bridge had been completed at the time of the accident. Supporting pillars had already been erected and five concrete slabs had been placed.

Following the incident, police officers, firefighters and district administration officials rushed to the site and immediately launched rescue operations amid difficult weather conditions.

Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) later joined the operation, bringing heavy equipment and rescue personnel to help search through the debris.

In a post on X, the CM said instructions were issued to the district administration to swiftly carry out relief and rescue operations in coordination with the SDRF.

(With PTI inputs)