An under-construction bridge in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district collapsed on Thursday, leaving at least 10 people injured and raising concerns over construction safety standards in the region. The incident occurred at the New Bypass area in north Kashmir's Baramulla when the structure, which was reportedly in the final phase of completion, suddenly gave way.
According to initial information, the bridge was in its last stage of construction and had not yet been opened for public use. Emergency teams and local authorities reached the spot soon after the incident and shifted the injured for medical treatment.
Similar incident in May
In a similar incident in May this year, four workers were feared trapped under debris as a portion of an under-construction bridge collapsed in the Bantalab area of Jammu. The rescue operation was carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams. JCB machines were also utilised to aid in the rescue. BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma had said, "This is an old bridge, but its foundation was exposed. So, a tender was floated, and the process of strengthening the foundation was underway. An excavation must have been done. I think due to the vibration above, due to the movement of a vehicle, this mishap occurred."
NIA attaches land of terror case accused
Earlier on Wednesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) attached two plots of land in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), officials said. The plots measuring 7.5 marla (2,050 square feet) and 6 marla (1,632 square feet) in Kanispora belong to Shaheen Ahmad Lone, an accused in a case registered by the NIA in 2020, the officials said.
The attachment was carried out on the basis of an order issued by a designated NIA court in Jammu under Section 33 (1) of the UAPA. The attachment is part of the NIA's high-profile investigation into a deep-rooted conspiracy involving the banned terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen and Pakistani state agencies to fuel terrorism in India. The investigation focuses on the illegal arms network, terror funding and the interception of Hizbul terrorists alongside former deputy superintendent of police Devender Singh.
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