One killed, 11 injured in bridge collapse

Perambalur, May 1 (UNI) One person was killed on spot and eleven people were seriously injured when a portion of a road over-bridge under construction, as part of a Four-Laning Project, collapsed at Thozhudur, in Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu, on the Chennai-Tiruchirapalli National Highway here today.

Police said the deceased was identified as Pical (32) hailing from Vasanthpur district in Jharkand.

The injured were rushed to a private hospital here, from where two of them were referred to a private hospital at Tiruchirapalli.

Most of the workers, who were engaged in putting concrete roofing had gone out for their lunch at the time of the mishap. Otherwise, the number of casualties could have been more.

Though the police claimed that one person died, the employees, who were engaged in concreting work suspected that more people might have lost their life, as the clearing of debris was still on and the total number of casualties would be known only after this.

The reason for the mishap was said be the wrong decision of the site-supervisor, who asked the workers to undertake concrete roofing, on the side walls, which were erected only yesterday. Since the side-walls were wet, the huge concrete weight fell on the ground, in which the workers, who were on the bridge and around it were trapped under concrete debris, police added.

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