A major accident took place in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Thursday when a launcher collapsed during construction work on an under-construction four-lane NH-139W road being built under the Bharatmala project.
The incident occurred near Jalalpur village, close to the Gandak river, under the Lalganj police station area. At the time of the accident, seven workers were reportedly present on the under-construction bridge when the launcher suddenly gave way and crashed down, trapping workers under heavy debris.
The incident triggered panic at the site, following which local residents, police personnel, administrative officials and a team of doctors rushed to the spot. Rescue operations were launched immediately, and two workers trapped under the debris were pulled out safely.
Six workers treated
Six injured workers were subsequently treated at the Sadar Hospital in Hajipur. Four were reported to be in stable condition, while two, identified as Ram Bharose Sah from Patna and Pramod Chaudhary from Patna, were in serious condition and referred to Patna for further treatment.
The injured workers were identified as Ranjan Kumar, Ram Bharose Sah, Gulshan, Ali Imam, Pramod Chaudhary and Sanjeev Kumar.
Investigation into collapse launched
Officials have launched an investigation into the accident. It is yet to be ascertained whether the launcher collapsed due to a technical fault, construction lapse or another reason. The incident has also raised concerns over safety standards at construction sites.
