Two workers died on the spot when a cement girder, a part of the Srinivasa Setu elevated corridor project, collapsed and came crashing on them on July 26 (Wednesday) night.
Even as a giant crane was lifting the girder, the cable connected to the crane snapped. The deceased have been identified as Baddo Mandal (43) hailing from from Bihar and Arjit Ghosh (21) from West Bengal. Both were migrant workers engaged for the project by the executing agency AFCONS.
The project, which is being executed jointly by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and Tirupati Smart City Corporation, aims at providing a hassle-free route to the pilgrims visiting the Lord Venkateswara temple. The final phase of the project is expected to be completed in a week and the flyover all set for inauguration.
In tune with the directions of the Department of Labour to suitably compensate the deceased under the Employees Compensation Act, the AFCONS has agreed to pay ₹13.16 lakh to the family of Mandal and ₹16.70 lakh to the kin of Ghosh.
Meanwhile, Congress leader P. Naveen Kumar Reddy questioned how a crane equipped to lift 500 tonnes could fail to handle a pre-cast segment weighing 75 tonnes. He expressed doubt that if it could be a mechanical failure. He appealed to the corporation and TTD authorities to ensure regular monitoring of the projects to ensure the safety of workers.
