An under-construction railway bridge collapse near Sairang area of Mizoram, on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. At least 17 workers were killed in the incident according to officials. (Photo: IANS)
Aizawl, August 23 (IANS): At least 26 workers were killed and two others injured after an under-construction railway bridge collapsed near mountainous Sairang area of Mizoram on Wednesday, officials said.
According to railway and police officials, 22 bodies have been recovered so far.
Rescue operations were on to recover the remaining four bodies from under the collapsed steel structure.
The railway bridge was under construction over the Kurung River connecting Bairabi (near southern Assam) to Sairang, 10 km away from Mizoram capital Aizawl.
The accident site is about 21 km from Aizawl.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), which is implementing the 51.38 km railway project, has sent several medical and engineering teams to provide medical assistance as well as the recovery process.
NFR General Manager (Construction) Sunil Kumar Jha, along with senior officials, have also rushed to Mizoram from the NFR headquarters Maligaon (Guwahati).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, many Chief Ministers of the northeastern states and top leaders have expressed their deep anguish over the mishap.
The Prime Minister, who is now in Johannesburg for BRICS Summit, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
The Railway Minister also announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs ten lakh for the deceased, Rs two lakh towards grievous and Rs 50,000 for minor injuries.
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga also deeply saddened over the mishap.
“Under construction railway over bridge at Sairang, near Aizawl collapsed today; at least 17 workers died: Rescue under progress.
Deeply saddened and affected by this tragedy. I extend my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Sending gratitude to the people who have come out in large numbers to help with rescue operations,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The height of the piers of the under construction bridge, which collapsed on Wednesday, is 104 meter.
Sairang railway station is set to be the last railhead before reaching Mizoram’s capital Aizawl.
Scheduled to be completed by December this year, the project would connect mountainous Aizawl with the national railway network.
There are 32 tunnels (12.67 km total length), 16 cut and cover tunnels (2.58 km total length) along the 51.38 km long Bairabi to Sairang stretch of the broad gauge railway line, which traverses through Thingdawl and Tlangnuam areas under Kolasib and Aizawl districts respectively.
There are 55 major bridges of which six are tall bridges having a height of more than 70 meter (the tallest being 104 meter), 87 minor bridges, five road overbridges and eight road underbridges.
