Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government formed a high-level technical committee for tragic Cuttack Kathajodi bridge mishap that claimed three lives yesterday. 

By the order of Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, an official notification has been issued regarding constitution of a 3-member technical committee chaired by Works EIC-cum-Special Secretary for inquiry into the causes of fatal mishap occurred on May 3 during execution of ring road expansion project in Cuttack. 

The panel also comprises of Chief Engineer Roads-II and Cuttack Additional District Magistrate as members. 

The committee has been asked to submit a detailed report in 15 days to the Works Department after thorough investigation. 

Stringent action will be taken as per the law if persons/entities are found responsible for such lapses, said Harichandan today. 

According to reports, five labourers were injured during construction of a bridge over the Kathajodi River on Saturday evening (May 3), of them three were declared dead at the SCB Hospital. 

The deceased workers have been identified as Soumya Ranjan Behera, Sibasankar Patnaik and Subhas Chandra Bhakta. The two injured workers identified as Arun Barik and Bikala Jena are still in critical condition.

The incident occurred when a concrete slab unexpectedly collapsed from the cranes, falling on the workers at Khannagar site.

Expressing grief over the deaths of workers, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to families of the deceased. He also announced that the state government will bear the medical expenses of the injured persons.