Bhopal: A truck driver and conductor was killed and four others were injured on Thursday morning after a girder being lifted by two cranes collapsed at the under-construction Sagaur Railway bridge in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, police said.
Police have identified the deceased as Abhay Patidar, a mini-truck driver and Kalyan Singh, conductor. Four others who were injured and is currently undergoing treatment.
“Two cranes were lifting a girder from both ends when one of the cranes, positioned on the Sagaur side, suddenly toppled. A Tata Magic and a pickup truck passing by were struck. A driver was pulled out, while two others were pulled out after a two-hour operation,” Dhar superintendent of police (SP) Mayank Awasthi said.
The railway overbridge, approximately 500 metres in length, in Pithampur’s Sector 3, has been under construction for the past three years.
Local advocate Rajesh Chaudhary alleged that the incident was caused due to negligence by railway officials and the contractor. “There was no service road at the site. Due to the unstable ground, one of the cranes sank and overturned. Despite repeated warnings to the authorities, no action was taken,” he said.
HT has reached out to railway department officials, and the copy will be updated once a response is received.
Two additional cranes have been deployed to remove the toppled equipment.