Baramulla: Ten persons were injured Thursday when an under construction bridge collapsed at the New Bypass near Darul Uloom Cheradri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
According to eyewitnesses, the mishap occurred at the New Bypass near Darul Uloom Cheradri when the shuttering and scaffolding supporting the bridge gave way during the construction work. The collapse triggered panic at the site as workers and machinery were caught under the debris.
Pertinently the structure had not yet been formally inaugurated or opened for public use.
Locals alleged that the bridge showed visible signs of weakness before the collapse and accused the executing agency of using substandard construction material. Residents have demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident and strict action against those responsible.
The collapse has once again raised serious concerns over the quality of construction, supervision, and accountability in public infrastructure projects across the Valley.
Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Baramulla, Dr. Parvaiz Masoodi, said that 10 injured persons were brought to the hospital for treatment following the incident.
“One of the injured, who sustained a spinal injury, has been referred to Bones and Joints Hospital Srinagar for specialized treatment, Dr. Masoodi said.
Hospital sources said the remaining nine injured persons are stable and undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, the incident has sparked outrage among residents, who are demanding an impartial probe to ascertain the cause of the collapse and fix responsibility for what they described as serious negligence.
Soon after the incident, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Syed Fakhrudin Hamid assured that strict action would be taken against the contractor and engineers found responsible for the collapse.
“The administration has constituted a special inquiry team to investigate the circumstances that led to the incident. The injured persons are receiving medical care, and appropriate action will be initiated against those found responsible after the inquiry report is submitted,” the Deputy Commissioner said.
Meanwhile, in an official statement, the Baramulla Bypass Project authorities clarified that the incident occurred during the concreting of the slab at the Vehicle Overpass located at Chainage 57+735.
According to the statement, concreting work was in progress and had reached the final finishing stage when excavated soil from a nearby area suddenly caved in, striking the staging system supporting the structure.
“As a result of the impact, the shuttering collapsed. Fortunately, there was no loss of life or any severe injury to personnel. All workers at the site are safe, and the situation has been brought under control,” the statement issued by the Project Manager of the Baramulla Bypass Project said.
The project authorities further stated that a detailed assessment of the incident and the extent of structural and material damage is currently underway and that necessary corrective measures would be implemented after the evaluation.
