Minor girl killed as slab falls during overbridge construction in Odisha’s Bhadrak

Bhubaneswar: An eight-year-old girl was killed after a concrete slab fell on her during the construction work of an overbridge on National Highway (NH)-16 in Odisha’s Bhadrak district today.

The incident took place at Bishnupur Square under Dhamnagar police limits in Bhadrak. The accident occurred when the prefabricated slab was being lifted by a crane as part of the construction of the sidewall of the overbridge in the afternoon.

The slab fell on the minor girl while she was crossing the road. She died on the spot, reports said.

The incident sparked tension in the locality. The locals staged a road blockade and set an earthmover, engaged in construction work, on fire.

The road blockade disrupted traffic with several buses and trucks left stranded on both sides of the NH.

On being informed, the police rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the agitators in an attempt to restore vehicular traffic on the NH.