One person was killed and six others injured when an under-construction bridge on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway collapsed near Palampur. The accident took place at 4.45 PM when a span of 400-metre bypass bridge on the national highway fell down killing one person on the spot. As many as 15 persons were working on the site at the time of the accident.
All the six injured were immediately taken to the local Civil Hospital where the condition of two was stated to be serious. This was the second accident at the same site. In December 2010, a portion of the bridge had collapsed killing an inspector of PWD. After a gap of a year, the NHAI authorities resumed the construction of the bridge and persuaded the contractor to go head with the work. But today again, the same portion of the bridge collapsed.
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has ordered a high-level probe and deputed a high-level team of PWD officials from Shimla to conduct inquiry. He said the government would not spare anybody responsible for the accident and use of poor quality material, which led to the accident twice on the same site killing two persons.
