Two railway officials were killed late Thursday night after a mound of soil collapsed during the construction of an underpass near Dara ki Naal on National Highway 52 in Rajasthan’s Kota district, officials confirmed on Friday.
The railway officials were overseeing the construction of an underpass beneath the railway tracks when the mishap took place. Senior Section Engineer Sanjay Kumar Jha and Junior Engineer Prabhat Singh were trapped under the debris after the soil collapsed during the box-pushing operation.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) Saurabh Jain described it as a tragic accident and said a probe had been ordered into the matter.
"The tragic accident occurred yesterday at approximately 8 pm while our railway engineers were inspecting the ongoing site work. The soil suddenly caved in, trapping two of our supervisors under the debris. The administration acted immediately to rush them for medical attention. However, they were unfortunately pronounced dead upon arrival. Their bodies have since been shifted from the site to the medical facility," Jain said.
After the incident, the railway authorities arranged for the post-mortem examinations on both victims and formed an inquiry team to determine the cause of the collapse.
As a precautionary measure, the Railways has imposed a speed restriction of 10 kilometres per hour on trains passing through the affected section. Trains have also been directed to halt and proceed cautiously through the area until further instructions.
Meanwhile, family members of one of the deceased officials, Prabhat Singh, alleged negligence and demanded accountability. Prabhat Singh's uncle said the young railway officer had joined service only a few months ago and was still undergoing probation. Although he had been on the job for barely three months, the District Magistrate or senior officials assigned him to such a massive undertaking, a decision that constitutes a gross act of negligence, he said.
The family has also sought a compassionate appointment for a member of the household.
"We humbly appeal to the government to grant a compassionate appointment to a family member, specifically his young daughter, to ensure the sustenance and livelihood of the household. We urge the authorities to investigate the officials responsible," he added.
(With inputs from ANI)