One dead, one injured in UP as mesh collapses at construction site

The incident occurred around 5 pm on Tuesday as a group of seven to eight workers was erecting an iron framework at the construction site of a new bridge replacing old structures

A labourer was killed and another seriously injured when a heavy iron mesh collapsed during the construction of a bridge here at the Jamuria drain on Ayodhya Road, police said on Wednesday.

The local administration has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

The incident occurred around 5 pm on Tuesday as a group of seven to eight workers was erecting an iron framework at the construction site of a new bridge replacing old, dilapidated structures on the Lucknow-Ayodhya old highway near Patel Tiraha.

The iron mesh lost balance and fell suddenly, trapping two workers underneath. The other workers raised an alarm, and with the help of nearby shopkeepers and passersby, the trapped labourers were pulled out and rushed to the district hospital, said SHO RK Rana.

Doctors later declared one of them dead during treatment. He was identified as Ramesh Kumar (35), a resident of Sitapur.

The injured worker, Badlu (26), is Kumar's brother-in-law and a resident of Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh.

The injured worker is undergoing treatment, Rana said, adding that the body of the dead has been sent for post-mortem. No written complaint has yet been filed by the family of the deceased.

District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi has ordered an inquiry and formed a two-member committee comprising Assistant Engineers Ashok Kumar and Priyank Tripathi. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three days.

Executive Engineer Rajeev Kumar Rai said that based on the inquiry report, action will be taken against those found responsible for any negligence in adhering to safety standards at the construction site.ayo