A tragic accident occurred on Wednesday morning when an under-construction railway bridge collapsed near Sairang area of Mizoram, killing at least 17 workers and leaving several others trapped under the debris. The bridge was part of a project to connect the state capital Aizawl with the national railway network.
According to the police, there were 40 construction workers on the bridge at the time of the incident, which happened around 11 am, about 21km from Aizawl. The Sairang branch of the Young Mizo Association is currently carrying out rescue operations, with the help of local people and authorities.
“The bridge that collapsed was part of an Indian Railways project to connect all state capitals in the northeast region. It has been under construction for some years now. The incident happened around 11am. We are yet to ascertain the reason behind the accident and how many people actually were on it when it occurred,” Sabyasachi De, chief public relations officer of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), said.
The bridge was constructed over Kurung river and is located between Bairabi and Sairang railway stations. The height of the pier of the bridge is 104mts. Sairang railway station is set to be the last railhead before reaching Mizoram’s capital. Once completed, the project will connect Aizawl with the national railway network.
Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga expressed grief over the incident on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), and said, “Under construction railway over bridge at Sairang, near Aizawl collapsed today; atleast 15 workers died: Rescue under progress. Deeply saddened and affected by this tragedy. I extend my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Sending gratitude to the people who have come out in large numbers to help with rescue operations.”
The chief minister also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of those who died in the accident, and Rs 1 lakh each to those who were injured. He also said that he has spoken to Union railway minister Piyush Goyal and requested him to send a team of experts to investigate the cause of the bridge collapse.
The incident has raised questions about the safety and quality of the railway project, which has been facing delays and cost overruns due to various challenges such as difficult terrain, land acquisition issues, environmental clearance, and Covid-19 pandemic. The project was originally scheduled to be completed by 2015, but has been pushed back several times. The estimated cost of the project has also increased from Rs 4,509 crore in 2008 to Rs 6,527 crore in 2020.
The railway project is expected to boost the economy and connectivity of Mizoram, which is one of the most remote and underdeveloped states in India. The project will also enhance the strategic importance of Mizoram, which shares borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. However, the tragic accident has cast a shadow over the progress and prospects of the project, and has exposed the need for better safety measures and supervision.
