- A flyover segment collapsed during construction in Samba district, killing one labourer
- Another labourer was critically injured and is receiving hospital treatment after the collapse
- The accident occurred around 10 am on the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway project site
A labourer was killed and another was critically injured after a segment of an under-construction flyover collapsed at Jakh in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district on Tuesday morning.
The accident took place around 10 am during construction work on the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway when a precast segment being launched by a launching girder came crashing down.
The injured labourer was immediately rushed to the hospital, where his condition is stated to be critical and treatment is underway.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic after the collapse.
"I was sitting in a nearby shop when a portion of the flyover fell down. There was a deafening sound. We all rushed out," said an eyewitness.
Senior officers of the Samba district administration rushed to the spot and have been camping there since morning. Officials said compensation will be provided to the family of the labourer who died.
The exact cause of the collapse is still not clear.
"That is a matter of investigation. Presently, the administration is focusing on providing the best treatment to the injured labourer," an official said.
Police have taken cognisance of the matter and started investigation.
About The Project
The 669-km-long Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is a flagship project being built under Bharatmala Pariyojana at a cost of over Rs 40,000 crore. Once completed, it will drastically reduce travel time between Delhi and Katra - the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine - from 14 hours to around 6 hours. The expressway is expected to give a major boost to religious tourism, trade and economic development in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, while also ensuring faster and seamless connectivity for defence movement.
