Under Construction NH Stretch Collapses in Kerala
Multiple vehicles, including a school van carrying 30 students, were trapped in the holes caused by the impact
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Several people, including school children, had a close call on Friday when part of the sidewall from the under-construction National Highway 66 gave way, crashing onto the service road below and leaving massive craters from the impact of the concrete boulders.
Multiple vehicles, including a school van carrying 30 students, were trapped in the holes caused by the impact. The incident occurred at Mylakkadu in Adichanalloor panchayat near Kottiyam in Kollam district, where embankment work was ongoing as part of the Mevaram-Kadampattukonam widening project. The service road was left looking like it had been struck by an earthquake.
A senior NHAI official who visited the site said, “We will learn from this mishap and build better roads. Standard safety procedures are in place, and we comply with all measures.”
“As far as possible, we are following all safety precautions. Let the investigation proceed, and we will fix any mistakes and faults to improve the roads. We have sought a detailed report on the incident,” he said while denying residents’ allegations of poor supervision during construction.
Soil filling for earth levelling is currently underway on the elevated highway. Residents reported that water had collected in the area after recent heavy rains and claimed the authorities had ignored necessary safety measures.
A few months back, a similar mishap occurred on the national highway stretch at Kuriyadi in Malappuram district, where part of the embankment gave way, causing the wall to collapse along the Ramanattukara–Valanchery section of NH 66.
PWD Minister P.A. Mohammad Riyas ordered a detailed investigation and asked the PWD Secretary to get a report from NHAI authorities as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, traffic on the busy Thiruvananthapuram–Kollam stretch came to a standstill after the sidewall collapsed. District Collector Devidas, who visited the site shortly after, said diversions would be arranged to keep vehicles moving smoothly.
Alappuzha MP and Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal noted that locals had raised concerns about the danger in the area, but apart from assurances from the district administration, no safety measures were taken.
"The NH authorities seem to be ignoring the problem, and the state government should have been more vigilant in monitoring the vulnerable stretches of the road. Instead, they appear to be rushing to inaugurate these roads before the assembly elections without ensuring public safety," he alleged.
"I was shocked to see the road cracking up in front of the vehicle. I was almost frozen in my seat. Soon, I gathered my composure. We stopped the vehicle and, with the help of the lady attendant, took all 30 children to a safe place on the roadside. By then, passengers of other vehicles were also seen rushing to safety," the school van driver recollected his harrowing experience.
“Suddenly, our car started wobbling. At first, we thought it might be a mechanical issue or a flat tyre. When we stopped, people in other cars began shouting and telling us to run for safety. That’s when we realised something was seriously wrong. Once off the road, we saw that the sidewall of the NH had collapsed. It was a narrow escape,” said a veterinarian.
