Two laborers injured in expressway construction accident

In Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, two labourers were injured when a concrete girder from the under-construction Delhi-Dehradun Expressway fell on them. The incident occurred on Sunday as workers were moving a pillar with a machine. According to Deoband Circle Officer Ravikant Parashar, the pillar likely slipped during the process. One labourer suffered a leg fracture, while the other sustained less serious injuries. Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) confirmed that no one was trapped under the pillar but are still conducting checks. Narendra Singh, Project Director at NHAI, stated that the incident happened during girder launching for a new flyover on the Deoband Canal. A canal closure was approved for this work starting March 13. Unfortunately, during the operation on March 23, the crane's string wire broke, causing one girder to fall along with four others. Singh emphasized that the incident resulted from a technical failure of the crane, not from issues with the girders themselves. Fortunately, because the contractor had planned traffic diversions, there were no fatalities. The two injured labourers are receiving treatment paid for by the contractor. In response to the incident, NHAI has formed an expert committee. This group will visit the site to investigate the causes and will submit a detailed report to the authority.