A portion of an under- construction flyover collapsed near Bomikhal in Orissa’s capital Bhubaneswar, killing at least one man and injuring 11 persons, official sources said.
About three-four persons were suspected to be trapped under the rubble, they added.
Around 15 labourers were working on the flyover when the structure collapsed on them in the afternoon.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief at the incident and announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for the next of kin of the deceased and free treatment for the injured.
"An exemplary punishment will be meted out to those found guilty," he said.
It Being A Sunday, Helped
If it wasn't a Sunday, the casualties would have been more the police said.
"Luckily, the road, which usually remains busy in normal days, was deserted on Sunday," a police officer said according to Times of India.
Prima facie, police said the cause of the collapse was because a portion of the bridge collapsed as the nuts and bolts of an iron slab holding it together loosened, Times of India reported.
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One Businessman Killed
Satya Patnaik, a 39-year-old businessman, was killed as he, along with his daughter Sheetal, was under the flyover when it caved it, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), Central Division, A B Otta told reporters.
Patnaik's daughter was seriously injured and admitted to the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, the RDC said.
The rest of the injured have been admitted to the Capital Hospital, AIIMS and various other hospitals.
The chief minister said two engineers had been suspended in the aftermath of the flyover collapse.
Though the flyover is being constructed jointly by the railways and state works department, our jurisdiction remained close to the track. The accident site belonged to the state government.A railway official told Times of India.
The role of the contractor was brought into the investigation.
"I have already ordered an inquiry into the matter. It is certainly a major mistake on the part of the contractor. The job was assigned to Panda Infrastructure," Works Department Secretary N K Pradhan said.
Pradhan said rescuing those trapped in the debris was the first priority of the state government. The flyover project, he said, was under the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Division-4.
"A portion of the flyover caved in when we were busy plastering its roof. We had started work at around 8 am," said an injured worker, who was undergoing treatment at the Capital Hospital.