A 45-year-old man was killed and another sustained injuries after an under-construction truss bridge over Hatheli Khad near Masiana in Himachal’s Hamirpur district collapsed on Friday, officials said.
According to police, the deceased, Ajay, was a resident of Jammu and worked as a labor contractor.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said that the launching operation of a 90-metre-long truss bridge was underway using the pushing method on the under-construction Hamirpur bypass (NH-103) project.
“During the process, when the launching nose was positioned over the pier cap, it suddenly collapsed due to a mechanical failure, resulting in the truss structure falling. There has been no damage to the bridge piers,” NHAI officials said.
The project is part of Shimla-Mataur corridor. Hamirpur deputy commissioner (DC) Gandharva Rathore said that as soon as the information was received about the accident on Friday afternoon, rescue teams were dispatched to the site.
One labourer was killed in the accident, while another was admitted to the Medical College Hospital, Hamirpur. “Five other labourers who were trapped in a deep gorge were safely rescued. The district administration was providing relief assistance,” she added.