Shimla: Two persons were killed and two
others seriously injured when an overbridge constructed on the
key Dhami-Basantpur-Kingal Highway last year to provide all-
weather connectivity to Rampur and Kinnaur gave in.
Four cement-laden trucks were parked on the bridge built
by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) when the mishap took place
last night, police said today. Two persons died on the spot
while two others sustained grievous injuries, they said.
The BRO said it will probe into the incident.
The road is a vital link for transportation of army
supplies upto Kaurik on Indo-Tibet border and also for
carrying apple and other agriculture produce from Kinnaur and
Rampur areas to various markets.
The traffic from the road has now been diverted to the
alternate route via Narkanda on Hindustan Tibet National
Highway, officials said.
One of the deceased has been identified as Prem, while
the body of the other victim could not be retrieved as yet
from under the debris of the collapsed bridge and mangled
trucks.
Superintendent of Police, Shimla district, R M Sharma
said a case has been registered against the truck drivers
under various sections of IPC related to causing death by
negligence. It was suspected that the trucks parked on the
bridge carried more weight than allowed on it.
"If further investigation reveals any carelessness on
part of the contractor who constructed the bridge, necessary
action would be taken," Sharma added.
Meanwhile, Colonel (Works) at BRO`s `Deepak Project`
Headquarters at Shimla, S S Pathania, said "The bridge was
constructed in August 2009 and the BRO headquarters in Delhi
is likely to soon order an inquiry into the incident and send
a technical team to check composition of the material used in
construction and the design."
"We would put up a Bailey bridge (portable pre-fabricated
bridge) within next two days to restore traffic on the route,"
he added.
He said that the bridge was classified as `Road Class 7`
that can bear upto 70 tonnes of weight and it was quite
possible that the trucks parked on it carried more weight.
Two years ago a bridge constructed by the state Public
Works Department had collapsed near Bhuntar in Kullu, while
heavy machinery was being transported over it to a hydropower
project site.
PTI
