3 dead as bridge collapses in Mumbai

, Feb 7: At least three labourers were

and six injured when a slab from an under construction bridge adjacent to the

fell while being hoisted by a crane, officials said here Thursday.

The incident occurred around 11.45 p.m. Wednesday when a 30-metre slab from the Sahar Elevated Access Road near Mumbai Airport crashed to the ground, city disaster control officials said. The crane hoisting it also collapsed, trapping the workers underneath.

The injured have been admitted to the nearby Holy Spirit and Seven Hills hospitals for treatment.

Part of the two-kilometre Sahar Elevated Access Road, the bridge is coming up adjacent to the T2 Terminal at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and will be a vital link connecting the congested Western Express Highway direct to the airport.

This is the third incident of its kind hitting a major urban infrastructure project in the past six months, raising safety concerns.

The incident came just four days after Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan declared the project (Sahar Elevated Access Road) among the mega-infrastructure projects that will change the face of Mumbai this year.

The officials said that those trapped beneath the debris are mostly workers.

The reason behind the collapse was being probed, they said.

Further details are awaited.

IANS and PTI