Jharsuguda: Vehicular movement came to a major halt after a portion of the Lotus Bridge at Banjari panchayat in Lakhanpur block of Sundargarh district connecting Jharsuguda and Sundargarh caved in late Saturday.
According to information, the incident occurred around 10 pm Saturday when a chips-laden vehicle was crossing the bridge. All of a sudden, a portion of the bridge collapsed. The driver of the truck had a close shave.
Sources said, the truck was heading towards Hemagiri from Lakhanpur. The vehicle got stuck on the bridge. Passers-by spotted the vehicle and alerted the locals who evacuated the driver safely and informed the police.
On being informed about the incident, police reached the spot and recovered the vehicle with the help of a crane.
Normal life was severely hit as the bridge was the only road access to the Burla-based VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) Hospital. Moreover, vehicular communication between the busy road connecting Hemagiri and Belpahad has been disrupted owing to the collapse.
Alongside, goods and transport services to Jharsuguda remained stranded for the day.
Meanwhile, the locals of the area demanded construction of a new bridge in the locality for facilitating smooth flow of vehicles on the route. Tension gripped the residents who blamed the authorities responsible for the collapse.
The locals said they had been complaining about the poor condition of the bridge but to no avail.
“The bridge was built about 20 years ago by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited for transportation of coal. However, no maintenance or repair work has been done on the bridge”, a local resident said, alleging that no official from the district administration has so far visited the spot to take stock of the situation.
PNN
