Kotagarh: Life came to a grinding halt as incessant rains lashed Bataguda area under Baliguda Tehsil of Kandhamal district Tuesday.
Communication lines were disrupted as a temporary bridge was washed away in a flash flood owing to torrential rains triggered by a low pressure area.
Vehicular movements came to a standstill after the bridge fell. A long queue of passerby could be seen stranded on both sides for more than an hour due to the sudden collapse of the bridge.
Locals blamed the contractor of the bridge for repeated collapse. On being informed, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Vineet Agarwal reached the spot along with his team to manage the public outburst.
With more rains likely over the next few days owing to the low pressure area, necessary steps will be taken to reopen the communications channels at the shortest possible time, sub-collector Rajendra Kumar Ranjeet said.
