KOLLAM: A 48-year-old migrant worker from Bihar died in a tragic accident at the Kollam bypass construction site on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Mohammed Jubrail, a native of Shishya village in Katihar district, Bihar.
His body was found crushed under a mound of soil near the Kurippuzha–Kavanad bridge section around 9.30 a.m., where construction work for the National Highway bypass is underway.
According to eyewitnesses, a portion of the worker’s hand was first spotted emerging from the ground while a grader machine was being used to level the soil. Workers immediately halted the machinery and alerted the authorities. The Fire and Rescue Services personnel recovered the body with the help of other construction workers.
Preliminary reports suggest that Jubrail may have become trapped beneath the soil while excavation work was in progress using heavy machinery.
The body was shifted to Kollam District Hospital for a post-mortem examination. The Anchalummoodu police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the incident. The body will be handed over to relatives after the autopsy on Wednesday. Police said the relatives have already been informed.
The Kollam bypass, part of the National Highway 66 development project, has been under construction for several months and involves extensive soil filling and road-laying works. Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the contracting agency are expected to conduct an internal safety review following the accident, which has raised concerns over safety measures at the site.