Bridge under construction on national highway collapses in Kollam; locals attribute collapse to shoddy construction

KOLLAM: A bridge that was under construction on the national highway in Kollam collapsed on Thursday. The incident occurred at around 1:30 pm when the bridge, located near the old Choorankal bridge, gave way during concrete works. Four construction workers present at the site managed to escape unharmed. Locals who rushed to the scene after hearing the sound said that they saw the bridge collapse and fall to the ground.

The bridge is currently in a collapsed state, with its central portion having sunk downward. Locals are attributing the collapse to shoddy construction. They claim to have pointed out these issues multiple times earlier and also stated that the bridge had collapsed during construction previously as well. Efforts are now underway to dismantle the collapsed bridge. The exact cause of the collapse remains unclear. However, it is suspected that the supporting pillars might have become unstable, leading to the bridge's failure.

There has been no official response yet regarding the bridge collapse. Meanwhile, some individuals have come forward in protest, alleging that construction flaws were the cause of the collapse. Despite it being a major construction project, the protestors claim that no officials from the National Highway Authority or the contracting company were present at the site. They also stated that they had previously informed the construction company that the work was not being carried out properly.