Khambhat, June 6 (IANS) A labourer was injured while another got trapped under the debris when an under-construction bridge slab collapsed in Gujarat’s Khambhat.

Preliminary reports suggested that one of the workers sustained serious injuries and was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital.

A search and rescue operation is currently underway to locate the second trapped labourer.

The incident occurred suddenly during construction work, officials said.

Soon after the incident, the local Mamlatdar, police teams, and Fire Department personnel reached the site to assist with rescue operations and assess the situation. The bridge is part of an Rs 8 crore infrastructure project currently underway in the region.

Following the collapse, allegations of gross negligence have emerged against the contractor overseeing the construction.

Locals accused the contractor of failing to provide basic safety measures at the work site, including protective gear for the labourers.

“Workers have been seen regularly at the site without helmets, harnesses, or other essential safety equipment,” a resident said, expressing concern over repeated lapses.

Police officials have summoned the contractor for questioning and have recorded his statement. Authorities confirmed that if negligence is established in the ongoing investigation, criminal charges will be filed.

The condition of the injured labourer remains critical, while rescue teams continue to work against the clock to locate the missing worker under the collapsed concrete.

Meanwhile, another devastating accident took place in October 2024 in Mehsana district’s Jasalpur village.

Nine labourers were killed, and one was injured when the soil caved in as they were digging a 16-foot-deep pit for a tank at a factory construction site. The victims, aged between 20 and 30, were buried under the debris, prompting a two-hour rescue operation.

In August 2023, a worker died, and six others sustained injuries when a girder launcher collapsed at the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor construction site near Karjan in Vadodara district. The incident occurred during the shifting of the launching gantry, leading to the fatal accident.

–IANS

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