Alappuzha flyover accident: Collector cites technical failure; NHAI to conduct probe
According to the District Collector, the girders slipped from the jack while workers were attempting to position them on the under-construction flyover.
According to the District Collector, the girders slipped from the jack while workers were attempting to position them on the under-construction flyover.
According to the District Collector, the girders slipped from the jack while workers were attempting to position them on the under-construction flyover.
Alappuzha: The death of a pickup van driver at the Aroor–Thuravoor elevated highway construction site has sparked protests over alleged lapses by authorities in ensuring public safety. Addressing the media at the accident site, Alappuzha District Collector Alex Varghese said that a technical failure of the jack used for installing the girders led to the mishap.
Rajesh (48), a native of Pallippad, was killed when massive girders, each weighing around 80 tonnes, fell onto his vehicle while he was passing through the work site at Eramalloor around 3 am on Thursday. According to the District Collector, the girders slipped from the machine while workers were attempting to position them on the under-construction flyover.
Responding to allegations of negligence, the Collector said that roads are normally closed to traffic during such high-risk construction work.
“Ashoka Builders, the firm in charge of the project, has been asked to submit a report. Police personnel and around 28 marshals have been deployed at the site to ensure public safety. As per the rules, the road must be closed for traffic while carrying out such risky works. What happened at the time of the accident will be investigated, and action will be taken,” he said.
The 13-km-long elevated road is being constructed on NH-66 from Aroor to Thuravoor.
According to police, the accident occurred around 2.30 am when a heavy girder was being placed on the piers. After positioning it, workers operating a heavy crane were adjusting it when it collapsed and fell over a pickup lorry passing below. Rajesh, who was driving the vehicle carrying eggs from Tamil Nadu to Haripad, was trapped inside the cabin as the vehicle was crushed in the impact.
Traffic on the Eramalloor stretch of NH 66 will be fully restored only after the collapsed girders are removed from the site. It is learnt that the work will be completed only by this evening.
Public protest at site
Meanwhile, residents have launched a protest at the site, accusing officials of ignoring persistent safety concerns and traffic woes caused by the ongoing construction. Speaking to the District Collector, several residents said they travel through the road in fear. At the same time, another pointed out the bottlenecks along the stretch, adding that office-goers and students have been facing long delays for the past three years.