6 months ago
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The operator of a pick-up van was killed erstwhile a factual girder connected the under-construction Aroor-Thuravoor elevated nationalist highway-66 successful Alappuzha, Kerala, collapsed connected apical of the conveyance aboriginal Thursday (November 13, 2025). The deceased was Rajesh, 44.
According to the police, the mishap occurred astir 2.30 a.m. erstwhile workers lifted the girder for the overpass and placed it connected a hydraulic jack, which past skidded from its intended position, causing the monolithic steel-reinforced factual beam to autumn onto the pick-up van passing below.
Officials said it took exigency workers and section volunteers 4 hours to determination the beam distant from the vehicle, which was crushed nether impact, to extricate Rajesh.
Workers flee
Local residents told reporters that the operation workers fled the country aft the accident, leaving cranes and different heavy-lifting instrumentality behind, which delayed the rescue. They said the casualties would person mounted if the girder had fallen connected a transport autobus tailing Rajesh’s van.
The mishap caused congestion connected the engaged arterial roadworthy for hours aboriginal successful the morning. The constabulary diverted vehicles from Cherthala to Ernakulam done the Poochakal-Aroor route.
Daleema Jojo, MLA, representing the Aroor constituency, told reporters that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had erred. “Safety precautions necessitate NHAI contractors to enforce postulation restrictions oregon divert postulation from the worksite erstwhile they undertake perilous work, specified arsenic placing dense beams connected the under-construction flyover. However, it seems they threw caution and nationalist information to the upwind and allowed traffic,” she said.
The MLA said she has requested that the District Collector and the District Police Chief guarantee that the NH-66 enactment does not imperil roadworthy users.
K.C. Venugopal, Alappuzha MP, told reporters successful Thiruvananthapuram that helium had warned the NHAI of specified perils. He said the illness of an embankment for the elevated NH-66 astatine Kooriyad, adjacent Tirurangadi, successful Kozhikode successful May had raised superior concerns astir the information practices followed by NHAI contractors.
He criticised the Kerala authorities for “failing” to support and negociate postulation connected the work roadworthy beneath the under-construction elevated NH-66 successful Alappuzha. “The State authorities has not utilised the funds the NHAI has provided for maintaining work roads. At slightest 40 radical person died from accidents caused by mediocre operation and inadequate postulation regularisation connected the Aroor-Thuravoor work roadworthy segment,” helium said.
Meanwhile, the constabulary moved Rajesh’s assemblage to a authorities infirmary successful Ernakulam for inquest and post-mortem examination. His relatives said they would not judge the assemblage until the authorities and the NHAI announced just compensation for the grieving family.
One of Rajesh’s neighbours said the operator was the sole breadwinner successful a household that included his wife, 2 daughters, and an ageing father. He mentioned that 1 of Rajesh’s daughters was chronically sick and the household could hardly spend her treatment.
Minister orders probe
Meanwhile, Minister for Public Works P.A. Mohamed Riyas has ordered an probe into the incident.
