Hopes came crashing on them with bridge

Barely three months ago, Sunil Singh and his brother, Varinder, came to Delhi to work at the Games sites, hoping they could earn more than they did back in Amritsar. But on Tuesday, 24-year-old Sunil’s hopes came crashing down with the pedestrian bridge near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. He has suffered severe back injuries.

Barely three months ago, Sunil Singh and his brother, Varinder, came to Delhi to work at the Games sites, hoping they could earn more than they did back in Amritsar. But on Tuesday, 24-year-old Sunil’s hopes came crashing down with the pedestrian bridge near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. He has suffered severe back injuries.

“My brother was working on the bridge when it collapsed. I managed to escape unhurt as I was on the ground. The doctors have said he will be discharged soon but he has hurt his back severely and will need to rest for at least a month,” said Varinder Singh.

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A total of 27 labourers were injured, eight of them seriously, in the pedestrian bridge collapse outside the stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games will be held. According to hospital authorities, four of them — Triveni (40), resident of Sasaram in Bihar , Jitender (23), Nirmal (33) and Punni (22) — are critical.

“While Triveni has critical chest and head injuries, Jitender and Punni have suffered head injuries and Nirmal has a thigh bone fracture and injury in this abdomen,” said M.C. Mishra, chief of the AIIMS Trauma Centre.

He said the other four patients — Dhruvraj, Sahib Singh, Kallander and Seetaram —have also been kept under observation and will not be discharged immediately.

“I was working on the bridge when suddenly it came crashing down. I have suffered a serious head injury and if I don’t recover soon, I will not be able to support my family,” said Valistar who hails from Bihar and has been admitted to AIIMS trauma centre.

Mishra added that the 11 others are stable and will be discharged after a through investigation is done once again.

“Two of my friends — Sahib Singh and Sunil Kumar — have suffered serious back and head injuries. We all have been living together at Kotla Mubarak-pur. Both of them were working on the bridge when it came crashing down. I have informed their families,” said Raju Singh, who hails from Amritsar.

Four workers were taken to Safdarjung Hospital. One of them is said to be in critical condition.