Girders of under-construction flyover collapse creating hurdles for public, embarrassment for CDA
Zubair Qureshi
Is it due to poor construction material or negligence of the contracting company that barely a week has passed and the under-construction Bhara Kahu Flyover is once again in news stories and this time too, for all the wrong reasons? Girders of the flyover in the Bhara Kahu area of Islamabad collapsed Thursday creating hurdles for local public, general commuters and tourists on their way to Murree.
CCTV footage making the rounds on social media showed the massive concrete girders of the flyover tipping over, hitting another one before eventually collapsing entirely, barely missing a pedestrian.
According to Islamabad Police, no loss of life was reported in the incident. It further said that rescue and police personnel were on the site to ensure smooth traffic flow and the traffic flow was shifted on one-way road for removing the rubble from the site. Heavy machinery was called in to remove the rubble and clear the road.
Commissioner Islamabad Noorul Amin Mengal, who is also Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), rushed to the site after the incident and ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Speaking to reporters, Amin said the accident occurred due to a “crane slipping”. “Fortunately, there is no loss of human lives, he said , adding, the safety and health of the labourers cannot be compromised at any cost,” he added. IG Islamabad Police Dr Akbar Nasir Khan was also present on the occasion.
Earlier, on Feb 25, too, a pillar of the same bridge had caved in killing two workers and while injuring three others. However, the inquiry report and action against the responsible are still awaited.
Officials of the police and administration said it would be difficult for them to explain the cause of the incident as it required some technical expertise.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has once again taken notice of the incident and sought a report from the CDA chairman.
About the first incident, Mengal had claimed that during a preliminary investigation, it was revealed that there was a movement of two to three heavy trailers in early morning which hit the under-construction flyover.
The committee, under the supervision of the deputy commissioner, was constituted to investigate the incident and fix responsibility, the chief commissioner said, adding that legal action would be taken against those found responsible for the incident.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on September 30 had laid down the foundation of the Bhara Kahu bypass and directed the National Logistics Cell (NLC) to complete the project within three months instead of four as mentioned in PC-I. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had taken the notice of the incident and sought a report from the CDA chairman.
