Truck falls into 12-ft sinkhole near CP-67 in Punjab's Mohali

The truck, carrying a load of coal, was en route to Kiratpur from Panipat

In yet another incident raising serious concerns about administrative apathy, a 12-ft-deep sinkhole near CP67 Mall on Airport Road swallowed a truck on Friday night around 11.30 pm, barely eight days after it had first emerged following heavy rain.

The truck driver said after noticing a heap of mud, he took a slight turn but his vehicle plunged into the sinkhole. (Sanjeev Sharma/HT)

The truck, carrying a load of coal, was en route to Kiratpur from Panipat. The driver, identified as Iliaj, said he was driving in the right lane when he noticed a heap of mud in the middle of the road. With vehicles ahead and behind, he had no option but to turn slightly only to have his vehicle plunge into the unbarricaded sinkhole.

“There were no barricades, no signage, no reflectors. It could have been more dangerous if I had stayed in the same lane where the mud heap was. I was forced to swerve. I’ve sustained internal injuries, but I’m alive, it could’ve been worse,” he said.

On Saturday, traffic was diverted to a single lane for nearly 100 metres, causing congestion on the already-busy stretch.

A commuter said , “This repair should’ve been done on priority. The road is dangerous, any major mishap could happen again.”

The traffic in-charge present at the site, however, blamed the driver, saying that he might have been sleepy and claimed that barricades were placed. However, a visit to the site by this correspondent revealed that the mud heap in the middle of the road played a major role in obstructing visibility and narrowing driving options.

Traffic expert Navdeep Asija said, “We often blame such incidents on natural disasters, but this is a man-made disaster caused by negligence. If a sinkhole has formed, it should be properly barricaded with clear signage and reflectors. A person travelling from another city has no idea there’s a hazard ahead, especially at night. While it’s understandable that repairing a sinkhole takes time, what excuse is there for leaving a heap of mud in the middle of the road?”

He further added: “Roads should not be laid without considering monsoon durability. The poor quality of workmanship is clear here. Norms have been badly compromised.”