Concrete Girder Falls On A Van At An Elevated Highway Construction Site In Kerala, Driver Killed
It took more than four hours for the rescue workers and residents to move away the beam from the vehicle and extricate Rajesh from under the vehicle which was completely crushed under its impact
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 44-year-old man was crushed to death when a massive concrete girder fell on his pickup van as he was driving along the Aroor-Thuravoor National Highway stretch. The accident took place early Thursday in the area where elevated highway construction is underway.
Police said the accident happened around 2.30 am when workers lifted the girder and placed it on a hydraulic jack. The girder skidded from its position when the workers were trying to make adjustments, and it fell onto the pickup van passing below.
It took more than four hours for the rescue workers and residents to move away the beam from the vehicle and extricate Rajesh from under the vehicle which was completely crushed under its impact.
A section of local people alleged that the construction workers fled from the site soon after the mishap. Since they left behind the cranes and other equipment meant for lifting heavy concrete structures, the rescue operations got delayed.
The incident triggered massive outrage with local MLA Daleema Jojo accusing the NHAI of serious lapses. Alappuzha MP K C Venugopal slammed the Kerala government for failing to regulate traffic on the service road below the under-construction elevated highway in Alappuzha.
Rajesh, who was the sole breadwinner of the family, leaves behind his wife, two daughters and aged father. One of his daughters is suffering from juvenile diabetes, and the family was struggling to afford her treatment.
According to Rajesh's relatives, he was transporting eggs from Tamil Nadu to Alappuzha when the accident happened. His father, Rajapan spoke to him around 10.30 pm on Wednesday while he was driving home. At that time, he had reached Angamaly. However, when the family members tried to contact him later, his phone was unreachable. Around 5 am, one of their neighbours informed them about the accident.
Locals who gathered at the accident site staged strong protests, alleging that the authorities had carried out high-risk construction work without closing the road. A KSRTC bus and a car narrowly escaped being crushed. Family members and friends of Rajesh refused to accept the body until the government assured them of adequate compensation. The police have registered a case against a Maharashtra-based company that has the contract for the elevated highway construction.
The work was reportedly done without proper safety measures, which led to the tragic incident, according to the FIR filed by the police. Meanwhile, Kerala PWD Minister P A Mohammad Riyas has ordered a probe into the incident.
