Hamirpur Bridge Collapse: A very painful and heart-wrenching incident has come to light from Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Here the heavy slab of a big bridge under construction on the Betwa river suddenly fell like a pack of cards. This terrible accident happened between 2 and 3 am on Friday, when the entire area was in deep sleep. So far, the death of 6 workers has been officially confirmed in this heart-wrenching incident, while many other lives are still buried under the debris. There is chaos in the entire area since the incident.

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Silence of midnight and suddenly came 'whirlwind of death'

According to eyewitnesses and local administration, everything was normal on Friday night. The workers involved in the bridge construction work going on on the banks of Betwa river were resting at the lower part of the bridge after a hard day's work. Then suddenly the weather took a terrible turn. According to the Meteorological Department, after midnight, a destructive storm broke out at a speed of 70 to 80 kilometers per hour in Hamirpur and surrounding areas and torrential rains started. Before anyone could understand anything or run to save their lives, a huge slab of concrete fell directly on the sleeping workers. There was no chance to scream and shout and in the blink of an eye many lives were buried in a pile of debris.

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Breathless battle under the debris: Scary rescue operation going on since midnight

As soon as the news of the accident was received, the Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) and top officials of the district reached the spot with heavy police force. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was immediately called. Many JCB machines have been working continuously since early morning to remove the debris. So far, 6 dead bodies have been taken out from under the dreadful debris of concrete and rods. Officials say there is a serious possibility that at least 6 more workers may still be buried under the debris. As time is passing, the battle for breath of the people buried under the debris is becoming more challenging. The screams of family members searching for their loved ones are echoing on the banks of Betwa river.

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Nature's havoc or a big game of carelessness? Serious questions are being raised

This tragic accident has raised a big question mark on the quality and safety standards of construction work. While on one hand eyewitnesses and local people are calling it the result of a strong storm and heavenly disaster, on the other hand experts believe that the under-construction slab of a big bridge cannot be completely destroyed due to storm and rain alone.

Was substandard material being used in the construction of this bridge?

Was there any carelessness regarding the safety of the workers amid this changing nature of weather? At present, the entire focus of the administration is on safely evacuating the people trapped under the debris, but the officials have made it clear that after the completion of the rescue, a high level technical investigation will be conducted into this entire matter and the culprits will not be spared.