Cuttack: Two persons died and one was injured as a portion of an old bridge collapsed in Cuttack city while renovation work was going on Wednesday evening.
The mishap took place when the work was going on in the bridge of the British era, connecting Chhatra Bazaar with Malgodown near the vegetable market. A ramp constructed with sand and soil to approach the bridge caved in bringing a portion of the bridge down on the workers 30 feet below.
With the workers trapped under the debris, the locals informed the police and Fire Brigade. Several teams of police, Fire Brigade and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) rushed to the spot and launched the rescue operation.
After clearing the debris with heavy machines, the rescue teams pulled out three persons. A green corridor was formed by the police from Chhatra Bazaar to SCB Medical College and Hospital to rush the rescued persons.
Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani, DCP Prateek Singh and CMC Commissioner Ananya Das were on the spot to supervise the rescue operation.
DCP Singh said three workers were rescued in critical condition and rushed to the SCB. While two succumbed to their injuries, the other person is under treatment at the Trauma ICU. Their identity was yet to be established, he added.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the death of the two persons and announced ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh for each victim. He has also ordered an RDC level inquiry into the circumstances leading to the incident.
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