Jammu: A three-member expert team of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Wednesday inspected the site of a fatal construction accident on the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra (DAK) Expressway in Samba district, a day after a labourer was crushed to death during construction work.
The team conducted a detailed technical examination of the incident at Jakh in Vijaypur tehsil, where a span segment slipped during the launching operation on Tuesday, killing a 25-year-old labourer from Bihar.
According to NHAI Jammu, the experts examined the launching gantry, design details and sequence of operations to ascertain what caused the failure.
“Prima facie, the incident appears to have occurred due to a technical snag during the launching operation,” NHAI said, adding that a detailed examination was still underway to establish the precise cause and identify corrective and preventive measures.
The incident occurred at Package-15 of the expressway project. The deceased was identified as Gotam Sahu, a labourer from Bihar.
The latest inspection comes after NHAI had on Tuesday ordered a probe into the incident and announced a detailed safety audit of under-construction structures along the corridor.
NHAI officials had described the incident as a mechanical failure involving the launching equipment.
The authority said the family of the deceased labourer had been suitably compensated, while the contractor had also provided employment to the next of kin.
“While such assistance cannot compensate for the loss, it has been extended in solidarity with and support for the affected family,” NHAI said.
The fatal incident has brought renewed focus on safety arrangements at multiple construction sites along the ambitious expressway corridor.
NHAI said it remains committed to maintaining the highest safety standards during construction and would continue taking necessary measures to prevent such incidents.
The authority’s decision to undertake a safety audit of under-construction structures is aimed at identifying possible risks and ensuring the safety of workers engaged in the project.
Another construction-related incident was also reported recently in the Sidhra area, where the shuttering of an under-construction pier collapsed after being hit by a truck, leaving a worker grievously injured.
NHAI officials had clarified that the concrete structure involved in that incident was still under construction and had not attained its required strength.
The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is one of the major highway projects being developed to improve connectivity between Delhi, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project in April 2022. Once completed, the corridor is expected to substantially reduce travel time between Delhi, Amritsar and Katra.
The project passes through major stretches of Jammu and Kashmir, including Kathua, Samba and Jammu, where several construction packages are currently underway.
The latest accident has therefore placed renewed emphasis on construction-site safety as work on the mega expressway progresses.
NHAI said the technical examination would continue and that necessary corrective and preventive measures would be taken after the precise cause of the incident is established.
