VISAKHAPATNAM: At least seven workers were injured after slabs of an under-construction road overbridge (ROB) collapsed near Tunglam in the Gajuwaka area of Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
The injured were identified as Buddheshwar, Bose, Ajit, Dinesh, Tushar, Pratap and Uday. They were shifted to a private hospital for treatment. Hospital sources said the injured men have sustained multiple fractures.
According to preliminary information, the work is being carried out by the R&B Department, with financial support from GVMC and APIIC. The decking of the bridge collapsed between the third and fourth pillars during construction, leading to the accident. As the incident occurred around lunchtime, only a few workers were present at the site, limiting the number of casualties.
Officials from the Railways clarified that the collapsed structure was not part of their works. In a statement, the official clarified, “This incident does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Railways. The collapsed structure is a road overbridge being constructed by the State government at Vadlapudi in the Gajuwaka area, at a location away from the railway track. The railway portion remains unaffected.”
Following the incident, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha spoke to police officials and reviewed the situation. She directed that the injured be provided proper medical treatment and asked officials to ensure necessary precautions to prevent such incidents.
Minister for Roads and Buildings BC Janardhan Reddy also reviewed the matter and spoke to senior officials. He directed them to visit the site and submit a detailed report on the cause of the accident.
Senior officials, including NH ENC Ramachandra, R&B Quality Control Chief Engineer Seshu Kumar and Anakapalli Executive Engineer Sambasiva Rao, were asked to inspect the site.
The minister instructed authorities to take action against those found responsible for the incident. Police reportedly registered a case and began an investigation into the incident.