Panipat, October 21
The flyover on the Panipat-Rohtak National Highway No 71-A, on old Delhi Branch Canal, collapsed early this morning. However, a major mishap was averted as no vehicle was passing over the flyover at the time of its collapse.
Thousands of vehicles pass over the flyover everyday. Even the cavalcade of Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala had passed over the flyover a few hours before when he was returning to Panipat after participating in an INLD rally at Rohtak.
One third portion of the total 100-feet-long and 7.5-metre-broad flyover collapsed and fell into the canal at about 4.45 a.m., said Jai Kishan, one of the eyewitnesses residing in Azad Nagar in Panipat.
Jai Kishan told The Tribune that the flyover collapsed soon after three trucks had passed over it.
Soon after the collapse, a motorcyclist informed the police, who blocked both sides of the road leading towards the flyover in order to avoid any mishap.The traffic was diverted to Samalkha and Gannaur of Sonepat district.
Meanwhile, SE Irrigation Gian Singh Chodhury, Executive Engineer (Irrigation) K.S. Chopra and B&R National Highway SE D.B. Gaur reached the spot. However, no one was ready to take any responsibility of the collapse.
While Gian Singh said the flyover had been built by PWD (B&R), the PWD (B&R) Executive Engineer said it was not clear which department had constructed the flyover.
Sources said the flyover was built in 1960s. Earlier, this road was looked after by the state authorities, whereas it had come under the jurisdiction of national highway authority two years ago.
