2 killed, 4 injured as railway overbridge girder collapses in Madhya Pradesh’s Pithampur

The railway overbridge, approximately 500 metres in length, in Pithampur’s Sector 3, has been under construction for the past three years

Updated on: Oct 30, 2025, 12:36:18 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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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.

Two cranes were lifting a girder from both ends when one of the cranes, positioned on the Sagaur side, suddenly toppled, police said. (Representative photo)

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.

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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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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