Bridge collapses during construction, leaves seven injured

Mangaluru: A bridge under construction collapsed at Mallippady in Bantwal near Mangaluru, resulting in injuries to seven individuals. The injured parties have been promptly admitted to hospitals in Puttur and Mangaluru for medical attention. Among those injured, Mahesh (63) hails from Nanjangud, Nagaraja (40) from Gadag, and Vijaya (35) from Puttur are currently receiving treatment at the hospital in Puttur. Meanwhile, Yousuf (50), Mathob (32), and Aktarul (42), all from Kolkata were employed at a concrete mixing plant in Mani. They are undergoing advanced medical care at a hospital in Mangaluru.

Jawahar (28) has fortunately been discharged from the Puttur hospital after receiving initial first aid treatment. Preliminary reports suggest that the bridge collapse occurred during the construction phase over a sizable trench passing through Mallippady. It is indicated that the collapse ensued while workers were engaged in slab work utilising double centring methods. The pouring of concrete mix from above led to the displacement of the bottom centering rod, ultimately causing the upper section to collapse.

According to reports, the supervisors at the construction site were absent and has been highlighted as one of the main factor resulting in the unfortunate mishap. However, experts have pointed to negligence in the planning and execution of the work as the root cause of the incident.