This foot overbridge was meant for CWG fans

Project worth Rs five crore collapsed in seconds; 27 labourers injured

If you were planning to witness the Commonwealth Games from close quarters, chances are you would have used this foot overbridge next to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main Games venue. So would have many others, oblivious of the danger to their lives. Twenty seven labourers were injured when this structure worth Rs 5 crore, being built for the past five months, came down like a pack of cards at around 3.10 pm on Tuesday.


Pack of cards: Workers clearing the debris after the collapse of an
under-construction foot overbridge near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the
main venue for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. PICs/IMTIYAZ KHAN
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Out of those injured, 23 have been admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Trauma Centre and four are at Safdarjung Hospital.
"Two of them are in ICU and the other 19 are stable," said M C Mishra, medical superintendent, AIIMS Trauma Centre.

Four workers, aged between 25 and 30 years, were taken to Safdarjung Hospital. They have been identified as Raju, Jassi, Ashok and Mohammad.

"All the four have limb injuries. Depending on the X-Ray results we can say if they can be administered a plaster or they would have to undergo surgery," duty officer at the hospital said. The accident site was immediately cordoned off.

The bridge was being constructed by Hydderabad-based PNR Infra who have now been blacklisted. Work was to be completed in two to three days.

PWD minister Raj Kumar Chauhan said that five days ago in a meeting with a PNR official he had asked the company to be cautious and to take all necessary security steps. Chauhan emphasised that if the government wants, the bridge can be built again in the next five days but they will use an alternate route like a pedestrian way for visitors. Chauhan visited the spot soon after the incident and spent around five hours there.

A senior police officer said an FIR of negligence had been lodged and the matter was being looked into. The police said they were yet to ascertain the identity of the contractor at the work site. A team of crime branch officials also visited the area. Around 15 small and heavy cranes were being used to remove the broken chunks of the bridge till late evening and police personnel were also deployed to avoid any untoward incident.

When asked who should be held responsible for the incident, Chauhan pointed fingers at the company that had the contract.

"The company that was awarded the tender is responsible. PWD has 24 projects across the Capital but this is first site where such an incident has occurred. We will convene a meeting along with CM Sheila Dikshit to discuss the incident. A high-level committee will take a final decision," he said. The foot over bridge was about to get rainbow coloured when it collapsed.

An additional commissioner of police reportedly suffered injuries in the incident, but the local police said they don't have any such information.

REALITY BITES
They were on a mock drill when the real disaster struck. Police personnel along with security agency officers were taken by surprise when the foot overbridge outside Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium collapsed.
Lodhi Colony police had received a call about a bomb blast inside Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium twenty five minutes before the incident.
"We though that it would be another mock drill call and took it lightly. But we were on our toes when we came to know that that the incident had actually occurred and twenty seven labourers were trapped beneath the debris. A senior police officer too was got injured in the incident. It was his luck that he wasn't trapped beneath the broken bridge. The brass official was coming out of the stadium when the bridge collapsed and he only suffered minor injuries," said a senior police officer.
The officer said that when the call about bomb threat was received they had called the fire brigade and four fire tenders were present at the spot. This also helped in the rescue of the labourers.
"We declared the bomb call a hoax after finishing our mock drill but did not know that we will have to produce our performance in a real tragedy that had taken place outside," said the officer.