Jammu, May 2: A night-long rescue operation concluded in the early hours of Saturday after an under-construction bridge collapsed in the Thathar area of Bantalab, trapping four labourers under debris. Three workers were confirmed dead, while one was rescued alive.
Officials said the incident occurred on Friday evening when a section of the bridge suddenly gave way, burying the labourers under heavy concrete and steel structures while they were working beneath it.
A massive rescue operation was launched immediately, involving teams from the Police, Army, SDRF, NDRF, and the civil administration. Heavy machinery, including JCBs, was deployed to clear the debris and locate the trapped workers.
After hours of continuous efforts, rescuers managed to pull out one labourer alive around 1 am. He was shifted to a hospital and is stated to be in stable condition. The bodies of the remaining three workers were recovered shortly after.
Additional District Development Commissioner (ADC) Jammu, Thakur Sher Singh, said the rescue operation continued throughout the night and was completed by 1 am. “We worked through the night. One worker has been saved, three have died,” he said.
Authorities have initiated further investigation into the cause of the bridge collapse.
