PARADIP: A father-son duo had a narrow escape after a bamboo decorative gate erected as part of a Vishwakarma Puja pandal collapsed on their car due to gusty winds and rain in Paradip on Monday afternoon.
The car and two motorcycles were damaged in the incident which took place near Jayadev Sadan. Sources said the car was passing on the road near the Food Corporation of India (FCI) Union’s decorative gate when the bamboo structure suddenly collapsed onto the vehicle, trapping the occupants inside.
The driver and passengers, including the father-son duo, escaped unhurt and were rescued by locals. Two motorcycles parked nearby were also partially damaged in the incident.
Soon after the mishap, police and fire services personnel reached the spot and removed the fallen structure from the road. Traffic resumed on the route after about three hours.
Local residents questioned whether adequate safety measures had been followed while constructing the decorative gates and pandals. They also demanded stricter inspection of such structures, particularly in view of the forecast of heavy rain and gusty winds over the next few days.
Executive officer of Paradip municipality Abhisekha Panda said the decorative light gate collapsed due to strong winds. No one was injured in the incident. Fire services personnel cleared the road within two to three hours, he added.
Meanwhile, several parts of Jagatsinghpur district including Paradip experienced intermittent rainfall since Monday morning following the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) warning about a deep depression and gusty surface winds. The weather conditions affected normal life as well as Vishwakarma Puja celebrations in the port town.
The Fisheries department has issued warnings at Nayabazar, Sandhakuda, Nehru Bangala and other coastal locations, advising fishermen not to venture into the sea till September 23 in view of the deep depression over Bay of Bengal.