The entire incident in Tamar area of Ranchi got triggered after cyclonic winds and subsequent rainfall due to Cyclone Yaas rattled the weak structure.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- A pillar of the bridge crumbled due to years of illegal mining, while two other adjoining pillars are also unstable
- People in the area claim that illegal mining is still underway, which could worsen the situation anytime
Ranchi: Rampant illegal mining has led to yet another infrastructural failure, this time around in Jharkhand as a newly-constructed bridge collapsed just 70 kilometres away from the state capital of Ranchi.
A pillar of the bridge crumbled due to years of illegal mining, while two other adjoining pillars are also unstable. Locals say that the bridge requires immediate repair, else the whole structure might collapse.
The entire incident in Tamar area of Ranchi got triggered after cyclonic winds and subsequent rainfall due to Cyclone Yaas rattled the weak structure.
People in the area claim that illegal mining is still underway, which could worsen the situation anytime.
The bridge on river Kanchi connects Bundu with Tamar.
Two people died in Ranchi after their house collapsed due to incessant rainfall due to Cyclone Yaas, which ravaged the state after causing extensive damage in neighbouring states of West Bengal and Odisha.
At least 5,000 people in Jharkhand were evacuated from low-lying areas near rivers that were flowing above the danger mark in East Sighbhum; 15,000 more people were shifted to safer shelters.
Nearly eight lakh people have been affected by the cyclone and torrential rainfall triggered by it.
“Two persons have lost their lives in house collapse due to excessive rain in Ranchi, while a major bridge in Tamar has collapsed,” Disaster Management Secretary Amitabh Kaushal told news agency PTI.
One other person died to a lightning strike in Bokaro.
Cyclone ‘Yaas’ brought winds gusting to 130-145 kmph, going on a rampage along India’s eastern coasts on Wednesday.
“Many of the low-lying regions are completely submerged, and we are also forcefully evacuating people from areas with heavy water-logging. We have imposed complete lockdown with some relaxations for emergency cases and essential services,” East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Suraj Kumar said.
