Here’s what led to Bomikhal bridge mishap as per probe committee report

Bhubaneswar: A week after the Bomikhal railway overbridge mishap in Odisha capital, a probe committee of the State Government’s Works Department, comprising three engineers, today submitted its final report.

As per the report, necessary precautionary measures were not taken by the concerned contractor which caused the mishap. Besides, it has been mentioned in the report that the workers engaged in the construction were not skilled ones.

“The report says that the contractor hadn’t taken necessary precautions which led to the mishap. This apart, the workers engaged in the construction work were not skilled as well,” said Works Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick.

On the other hand, the Works Department will take over the construction work of Bomikhal and Lingaraj overbridges which was earlier undertaken by Panda Infra Projects.

“After studying the report, the State Government has decided to take over the construction work of Bomikhal and Lingaraj overbridges. We are trying to complete the remaining work within 2 months,” the minister said.

A quality check and inspection will be conducted by a third party before inauguration of the two bridges, he said.

In a related development, Prashant Padhi, one of the directors of Panda Infra Projects, was today arrested by the Twin City Commissionerate Police.

Pratap Panda, chief of Panda Infra, has already been arrested under Sections 304, 337, 338 and 34 of IPC. He is currently lodged in the Jharpada Special Jail here. He was arrested in a similar case earlier in September, last year. A portion of the flyover had caved in leading to death of a person.

Notably, a labourer died and another was critically injured after a pile of iron rods fell on them near the under-construction flyover bridge on May 3 evening.