In Pictures: Six killed, 3 injured as under-construction bridge collapses in UP’s Hamirpur

Six labourers were killed after a section of an under-construction bridge over the Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur collapsed late Thursday night, following a powerful storm accompanied by heavy rain and strong wind lashed the district

Police officers, firefighters and district administration officials rushed to the site and immediately launched rescue operations amid difficult weather conditions

Rescue teams worked through the night and continued search operations on Friday amid fears that more people could be trapped

The bridge, an 800-metre-long structure spanning the Betwa River, has been under construction since 2024 and is intended to connect Mora Kandar and Kandaur villages in Kurara block of Hamirpur district

“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

Sub-divisional magistrate, Hamirpur, Abhishek Kumar said of the six deceased, two are local residents and four are from neighbouring Banda district

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

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took immediate cognisance of the tragedy and directed officials to speed up rescue, ensure treatment, compensation