Hamirpur Bridge Collapse: Six Workers Killed After Under-Construction Betwa River Bridge Slab Crashes During Storm

A tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur district claimed the lives of six labourers after a concrete slab from an under-construction bridge over the Betwa River collapsed in the early hours of Friday.

The incident occurred amid severe weather conditions, including strong winds and heavy rain that swept across the region.

Authorities have ordered an investigation into the collapse, and an Assistant Engineer has been suspended pending the probe.

Taking swift note of the tragedy, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences and announced financial assistance for the affected families.

The state government has approved compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the accident.

According to officials, the collapse took place around 3 a.m. between Parsani and Kandaur villages in the Lalpura police station area, approximately 25 kilometres from Hamirpur district headquarters.

Police identified the deceased as Lokendra (22), Kuldeep Nishad (19), Sawant Yadav (28) and Sabhajeet (30), all residents of Banda district, along with Pushpendra Singh Chauhan (34) and Rajesh Pal (42) from Hamirpur.

Rescue teams managed to pull three workers alive from beneath the rubble. They were immediately provided medical attention and shifted for treatment.

Hamirpur Additional Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar Verma said preliminary findings indicate that the workers were present at the construction site when one of the bridge slabs suddenly gave way and collapsed on them.

Officials noted that weather warnings had already been issued on Thursday evening by both the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the district administration.

Alerts had warned of thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and powerful winds across the region.

The adverse weather struck several parts of Uttar Pradesh early Friday.

According to meteorological reports, wind speeds reached up to 100 kmph in nearly 20 districts, including Lucknow, Varanasi and Prayagraj, accompanied by intense rainfall and thunderstorms.

The bridge, spanning approximately 800 metres across the Betwa River, has been under construction since 2024.

Once completed, it is expected to improve connectivity between Mora Kandar and Kandaur villages in the Kurara block of Hamirpur district.

The project is being executed by a private contractor on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation.

In the wake of the accident, Mithlesh Kumar, Joint Managing Director (Civil) of the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation, announced disciplinary action against officials connected to the project.

Assistant Engineer Gajendra Chaudhary has been suspended, while a departmental inquiry has been initiated against Deputy Project Manager Dileep Kumar, who was overseeing the project in Hamirpur.

Kumar also confirmed that a three-member committee has been constituted to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident.

The panel has been tasked with examining all aspects of the collapse and identifying the factors that led to the structural failure.

Officials said that around 60 per cent of the bridge construction work had been completed before the accident.

The supporting pillars were already in place, and five concrete slabs had been installed as part of the structure.

Soon after the collapse, police personnel, firefighters and district administration officials rushed to the site and launched rescue operations despite challenging weather conditions.

Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) later joined the effort with specialised rescue equipment and trained personnel.

They worked through the debris to locate survivors and recover the bodies of those trapped under the collapsed structure.

In a message posted on social media platform X, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said he had directed district authorities to carry out relief and rescue operations on a war footing in coordination with SDRF teams.

He also instructed officials to ensure all possible assistance is provided to the victims’ families and those injured in the accident.

The bridge collapse has once again raised concerns about construction safety standards, project monitoring and the impact of extreme weather on infrastructure projects, with the findings of the official inquiry now expected to determine accountability and the exact cause of the tragedy.