UP: 6 killed as under-construction bridge collapses during storm
What's the story
An under-construction bridge in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur district collapsed during a late-night storm on Thursday. The bridge, which was being built over the Betwa River between Morakandar and Kandaur village, collapsed around 2:00am when workers were sleeping on it, according to NDTV. At least six workers have been confirmed dead, and three others are feared trapped under the debris.
Ongoing rescue
Rescue operations are underway
Arvind Kumar Verma, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Hamirpur, confirmed that rescue operations by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are currently underway. "We reached the spot immediately after receiving the information around 2am last night that a slab had collapsed and some people were trapped beneath it," Verma said. The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered from under the rubble.
Victims' details
6 workers identified
The six victims have been identified as Lokendra (22), Kuldeep Nishad (19), Sawant Yadav (28), Sabhajit (30), Pushpendra Singh Chauhan (34), and Rajesh Pal (42). The youngest victim was Kuldeep Nishad from Chilla village in Banda district. Three others who were stranded on a pillar have also been identified as Awadhesh Nishad, Kallu Yadav, and Rajesh Nishad.
Eyewitness account
Storm caused bridge to collapse, local resident claims
A resident told news agency ANI that work was underway at the bridge when a strong storm hit. "Due to the storm, the segments broke and fell. Consequently, the support pillars also broke, and all the segments collapsed," he said. The resident added that two guards were crushed under falling debris and died in the accident.