Himachal Pradesh Police have registered an FIR against J-Infratech, the company executing work on an under-construction bridge on the Shimla-Mataur four-lane project in Hamirpur district, after a section of the structure collapsed during construction, killing a labour contractor and critically injuring a worker.
The incident occurred on October 2 at Masiyana, where a truss bridge is being built across Hathli Khad as part of the 17-km Kohli-Cheel Bahal section of the Shimla-Mataur four-lane highway. The wider highway project is being developed under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
According to the police complaint, workers were engaged in connecting the steel structure at around 1pm when approximately half of the under-construction bridge suddenly collapsed. Labour contractor Ajay Kumar and worker Kamal Kumar fell into the gorge below, while five other workers were left stranded on a bridge pillar.
Rescue teams and local residents helped reach those caught in the accident. Ajay Kumar was taken to Medical College Hamirpur, where doctors declared him dead. Kamal Kumar suffered serious injuries and was referred to AIIMS Bilaspur for further treatment.
The FIR was registered on a complaint filed by Narendra Kumar, a cousin of the deceased. The complaint raises allegations of possible flaws in the bridge’s design, construction material and safety arrangements at the worksite. These allegations have not yet been established, and police say further action will depend on the findings of the technical investigation and the Forensic Science Laboratory report.
Police have registered the case under Sections 125, 125(a), 125(b) and 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigators are examining the bridge’s design, the construction process, the material used, safety standards and the working conditions at the site.
The collapse had initially been described by NHAI officials as occurring during a launching operation. NHAI Project Director Rakesh Yadav said a 90-metre-long truss was being pushed into position and that the launching nose had reached the pier cap when the structure suddenly collapsed, with preliminary information pointing to a mechanical failure. He said the bridge piers were not damaged. A team of technical experts from Delhi was also called to examine the failure.
The police investigation and the technical inquiry will now have to establish whether the collapse was the result of a mechanical failure during the launching operation or whether any design, construction, material or safety-related shortcomings contributed to the accident.
The incident has put renewed attention on safety standards at major highway construction sites in Himachal Pradesh, particularly on projects involving large steel structures and construction activity in difficult hill terrain. However, responsibility for the collapse will be clear only after the technical and forensic investigations are completed.
