At least five labourers died after an under-construction bridge collapsed in the Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh around 2 a.m. on Friday [1], [3].
The incident highlights the precarious safety conditions for construction workers in India, particularly those living on-site during extreme weather events.
The collapse occurred at the Kandaur-Morakandar bridge within the Kurara Police Station area [4], [5]. According to officials, the incident occurred around 2 a.m. when a section of the bridge gave way amid strong winds and adverse weather conditions [1].
Reports on the exact number of fatalities vary. Some sources state five labourers were killed [1], while others report the death toll as six [2], [6].
Investigation into the tragedy suggests that workers were not in a secure shelter when the structure failed. "Several labourers engaged in the bridge construction work were sleeping on the upper portion of a slab when it suddenly gave way," officials said [2].
The timing of the collapse coincided with a violent storm that swept through the region. "The storm was so intense that segments of the bridge collapsed," a resident said [4].
Emergency responders worked to rescue those trapped in the debris. The collapse of the slab caught workers by surprise during the early morning hours, leaving several others feared trapped or injured [1].
“Several labourers engaged in the bridge construction work were sleeping on the upper portion of a slab when it suddenly gave way.”
This disaster underscores a systemic failure in occupational safety standards for migrant and contract labourers in India's infrastructure projects. The fact that workers were sleeping on a construction slab during a severe storm suggests a lack of provided safe housing and a failure to implement emergency weather protocols, which may lead to increased scrutiny of construction safety regulations in Uttar Pradesh.
