Railway ministry forms committee to investigate bridge collapse in Mizoram that killed 22

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Following the tragic collapse of an under-construction railway bridge in Mizoram's Aizawl district, the Ministry of Railways has established a four-member high-level committee to probe the cause of the incident, in which 22 workers lost their lives. The committee has been directed to submit its report within one month from the date of formation.

The four committee members are BP Awasthi of RDSO, Dr Dipti Ranjan Sahoo of IIT Delhi Sharad Kumar Agarwal of IRICEN and Sandeep Sharma, Chief Bridge Engineer, NF Railway, the order said.

The Works-I branch of the Railway Board will oversee the committee's operations, the submission of its report for consideration by the Railway Board, the implementation of its recommendations, and all related matters.

The under-construction railway bridge collapsed near Aizawl, where 26 workers from West Bengal's Malda district were employed. The accident resulted in the unfortunate death of 22 workers, while three injured workers are currently receiving medical treatment. One worker remains missing, and search operations are ongoing to locate him.

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The Railways have attributed the incident to the collapse of a gantry, which was in the process of being launched on the under-construction bridge over the Kurung River.

After the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 to those injured. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also declared compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the dead workers and Rs 50,000 for individuals who suffered minor injuries. (With inputs from agencies)