A girder of an under construction bridge on Kalapara-Kuakata road was collapsed when the workers were trying to lift if with hydraulic jack. They were lifting the 129-tonne girder to place rubber bearing on both ends of the girder. At that time one hydraulic jack broke, the girder tilted and eventually collapsed on a BRTC bus going under the bridge.
At least eighteen passengers of the bus were injured, police rushed there for rescue operation. One of the injured was died on way to hospital.
Many questions have arisen, why a bus was going under the bridge when workers were lifting the girder? Locals and victims blamed the engineer supervising the construction work for this accident.
But the engineer claimed the girder was not placed properly. It is reported that the bus ignored the caution on the construction work.
Prime Minister Hasina laid the foundation stone of about half kilometer long bridge on Sonatala river earlier this year. This bridge is named after prime minister’s brother Sheikh Zamal who was killed in a military coup to overthrow Mujib govt. in 1975.
