Odisha Two killed, one injured as approach road to old bridge caves in
At least two people were killed and another was critically injured as a portion of the approach road to an old bridge connecting Chhatra Bazar and Malgodown in Odisha's Cuttack city caved in on Wednesday, police said. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has condoled the deaths and announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. He also ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Officials had earlier stated that a portion of the bridge caved in. Although the deceased people are yet to be identified, officials said they were labourers engaged in the nearby Taladanda Canal Renovation project. They were staying near the approach road of the bridge.
"The accident took place as the approach road caved in. However, some portion of the bridge also fell on the labourers who were working nearby," Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissioner of Police S K Priyadarshi told PTI. "It appears that no one is trapped under the debris. DCP Cuttack is probing the incident," he added.
The chief minister, in a statement, conveyed his deepest condolences to the deceased's family and directed officials concerned to ensure the best treatment for the injured person, besides wishing his speedy recovery. He also ordered a revenue divisional commissioner-level inquiry into the circumstances leading to the accident.
Both Cuttack district Collector B S Chayni and DCP Prateek Singh had earlier said that the accident was caused due to caving in of a portion of the bridge. Singh confirmed that two people have died so far and one is in critical condition. "The injured people were immediately shifted to the hospital. There was no delay in doing that. However, two of them died," he added.
Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) Commissioner Anaya Das said that the rescue operation is almost completed. "However, the final sweeping of the accident site is being done in order to ensure that no more people are buried under the debris," she said. Chayani said, "This is an unfortunate incident. The government will certainly probe it." Personnel of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and Fire Brigade have been deployed to clear the debris.
Opposition Congress has held the district administration responsible for the accident. "The accident could have been avoided if proper precaution was taken. The victims' families should be given adequate compensation," Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim said.
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