Jammu Bridge Collapse Kills 3 Labourers In Thathar Area, Govt Suspends Engineers And Blacklists Contractor

Jammu: In a tragic bridge collapse incident in the Thathar area of Jammu, an under-maintenance bridge slipped on a group of labourers on Thursday afternoon, trapping allegedly around 5 to 6 workers under the debris. The incident, which occurred at around 3.30 pm, triggered an immediate massive rescue effort involving multiple agencies, including the NDRF and the Indian Army. 

According to reports, the Jammu police teams, along with personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Indian Army, rushed to the site and launched a war footing rescue operation. The officials stated that the rescue continued for nearly 10 hours through difficult conditions as teams made efforts to reach those buried under the concrete and steel.

Reports suggested that the operation concluded by late evening, with the discovery of the three bodies from the rubble, while one worker was pulled out alive. The deceased have been identified as labourers hailing from Chhattisgarh and Odisha who were engaged in the bridge repair work when the structure collapsed.

Government Acts Against Officials and Contractors

Following the deadly collapse incident, the Jammu and Kashmir Government moved to fix accountability. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, while talking to Republic TV, stated that two engineers, an Assistant Executive Engineer and a Junior Engineer, had been suspended with immediate effect. The Executive Engineer overseeing the project has been attached pending inquiry, and a new officer will take charge.

Choudhary also confirmed that the contractor responsible for the repair work would be blacklisted. He cited concerns over “low prices and compromised work,” suggesting that cost-cutting may have played a role in the structural failure. 

A high-level committee has been constituted to investigate the incident and identify those responsible. The panel has been directed to submit its report within 5 days. The officials said that the probe will examine the quality of materials used, adherence to safety protocols, and the supervision of the repair work.

Rescue Effort Involved Indian Army, NDRF

The joint rescue operation saw close coordination between the J&K Police, NDRF, SDRF and Army units stationed nearby. Despite the scale of the collapse, responders managed to save one worker, offering a small measure of relief amid the loss. The sources stated that the trapped labourers had little warning before the section of the bridge came down.

The locals in Thathar said the bridge was a key link for the area and had been closed to traffic during the maintenance work. Further details regarding the deadly incident are awaited.