The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Bridge near Tidel Park collapses

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Monday, Nov 02, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Bridge near Tidel Park collapses

Petlee Peter

Brick-laden lorry attempted to cross it

— Photo: M. Karunakaran

Fiasco: The bridge across the Buckingham Canal near Tidel Park that collapsed after a lorry laden with bricks attempted to use it early on Sunday.

CHENNAI: An old bridge connecting Ranganathapuram in Indira Nagar with Rajiv Gandhi Salai near Tidel Park, collapsed early on Sunday after a lorry carrying 8,000 bricks attempted to cross it to reach Taramani faster.

Three workers sleeping on top of the load fell into the Buckingham Canal below and suffered injuries. Their condition is said to be stable. The lorry was coming from Tiruvannamalai district to deliver the bricks in Taramani.

Often referred to as the ‘iron palam’ by residents, the 11-foot-wide and 50-m-long bridge was more than 30 years old. Until recently, it was for use only by pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheeler riders. But after iron poles that restricted entry of other vehicles had been removed, autorickshaws and cars started using the facility. The residents, however, said they had never seen a heavy vehicle use the bridge.

I.Srinivas, a welder from Vishakhapatnam employed at a construction site nearby, who witnessed the accident, said that the incident occurred around 1.50 a.m. after the lorry reached halfway of the bridge, where there are no pillars underneath. “My co-workers and I rushed to the spot and rescued three persons who got stuck between the slush and bricks. We called an ambulance and sent them to a hospital,” he said.

The injured, Vijayakanth (20), Kanniyappan (40) and Raman (40), all from Polloor Taluk in Tiruvannamalai district were taken to the Government General Hospital for treatment. Driver Manjunathan (29), cleaner Palani (27), Vijay (23) and Kannan (60) escaped unhurt as they were seated in the driver’s cabin.

As news of the bridge collapse spread, hundreds of people came to the spot. The police had a tough time handling the curious onlookers and regulating traffic on Rajiv Gandhi Salai as motorists stopped their vehicles to have a look. There were also some people who offered their assistance in clearing the bricks from the canal.

By afternoon, a crane was brought to the spot and the lorry pulled out. Adyar traffic police have registered a case of accident and are investigating.

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