Jammu: Tragedy struck the Bantalab area of Jammu on Friday evening when a portion of an under-construction bridge collapsed, leaving two labourers dead, one injured and another still trapped under the debris as rescue teams continued operations late into the night.
Officials said four labourers were working beneath the bridge in the Thathar area of Bantalab, engaged in strengthening and repair work on a section of the structure that had reportedly been damaged during previous floods. During the work, a large portion of the bridge suddenly gave way, trapping the workers underneath heavy concrete and debris.
The incident triggered panic in the area, following which local authorities were immediately alerted. Teams from the Police, Army, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Emergency Services, and the civil administration rushed to the site and launched a large-scale joint rescue operation.
Rescuers managed to pull out one labourer alive from the debris in an injured condition. He was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. During the search operation, two other labourers were found dead under the collapsed structure.
Officials said one more worker remains trapped beneath the debris, and efforts are underway to rescue him. Heavy machinery, including JCBs and excavators, has been pressed into service to remove the debris and speed up the operation.
Additional District Development Commissioner Jammu, Thakur Sher Singh, who visited the site, confirmed that two labourers had died while one had been rescued alive.
He said the rescue operation was being carried out on a war footing and teams were working continuously despite darkness to locate and save the fourth trapped worker.
According to officials, around twelve labourers were working near the bridge at the time of the collapse, while four of them were directly underneath the structure carrying out reinforcement work.
The exact cause of the collapse is yet to be officially ascertained, and further investigation is expected after the rescue operation is completed.
