BALASORE: As many as six workers were critically injured after a frame of iron rods for the construction of pillars of a bridge collapsed on them at Pantei in Bishnupur panchayat of Baliapal block on Thursday.
The workers were rushed to Baliapal community health centre (CHC). All of them, who were crushed under the frame, complained of chest pain, stomach ache, and headache. They had several injuries on their bodies. The other workers at the site, a few staff of L&T, the company which is executing the project under the supervision of PWD, reached the spot to rescue the workers using iron rod cutters and a JCB.
Sources said the state government had sanctioned Rs 155 crore for construction of the high-level bridge over Subarnarekha river at Pantei for the convenience of residents of Baliapal, Bhograi, Basta and Jaleswar blocks of Balasore district and neighbouring West Bengal. Work on the bridge was started in 2019. But apart from a few pillars, the executing agency has been delaying the project with the PWD remaining a mute spectator. Locals alleged the frame collapsed due to sub-standard work and poor design of the bridge. They demanded a probe to ascertain the cause of the mishap.
Executive engineer of PWD, Balasore Pinaki Prasad Swain said 32 mm rods were used on the frame for the upper portion of the pillar and 12 mm for ground level. Due to incessant rains for the last few days, the GI wires got loose as a result of which the frame collapsed on the workers. “The design of the frame will be inspected. The injured workers’ condition is better now and they will soon join work,” he said.