Bridge collapses in Chamba, 6 injured

DHARAMSHALA: Six people were injured when a 15-year-old concrete bridge collapsed at Parel, about six kilometres from Chamba town on Thursday.

The injured have been identified as Virender Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Mangla, Gyan Singh, Ravi and Anil Kumar, all residents of nearby villages, who were travelling in different vehicles.

The moment when the incident occurred, a car, a brickladen mini truck and a motorcycle were passing the bridge. The car and truck got stuck onthe bridge while the motorcycle fell into the Ravi River.

Chamba deputy commissioner (DC) Sudesh Kumar Mokhta reached the spot along with rescue teams soon after the collapse.

The injured were rushed to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and were under treatment. The bridge was a crucial link between Chamba town and remote Tissa area of the district. It was also the only bridge on which heavy vehicles were allowed. Another bridge linking the Tissa region is fit only for small vehicles.

Work on the bridge began in 2003 and was completed in 2005 with funding from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

“A case has been registered and a probe into the incident has been ordered,” said Mokhta.

“The collapse could be due to faulty design or use of poorquality construction material,” said the deputy commissioner while promising tough action against the guilty.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Anurag Thakur has demanded a high-level probe into the incident.

He also prayed for speedy recovery of injured.

Earlier in 2015, a Bailey bridge in Lahaul-Spiti district had collapsed cutting off over 100 villages from the rest of the state. Four people were injured in the incident.