MP: Two farmers die as bike falls through missing span of a bridge

Khargone, July 2 (IANS) Two young farmers were killed in a tragic accident when their motorcycle fell through a missing span of an under-construction bridge on the Indore–Edlabad National Highway near Baswa village, under the jurisdiction of Sanawad police station in Madhya Pradesh.

The victims, identified as Sanjay Dhakse (30) and Dharmendra Kohre (35), both residents of Chhapra village, were returning home after purchasing soybean seeds from Sanawad when the incident occurred.

“Both victims died, and their bodies were discovered on Wednesday by locals out for a walk, lying beneath the bridge alongside their motorcycle and mobile phone. They informed the police. Since both are deceased, the exact time and cause of death will only be known after the post-mortem report,” said Rameshwar Thakur, investigating officer and in-charge of Sanawad police station, while speaking to IANS.

When asked whether there were barricades or warning signs at the incomplete bridge, Thakur said, “Cement blocks were placed on either side of the incomplete portions of the bridge, but we will investigate the matter. A MERG report has already been filed. We will record statements from the victims’ families, and a full investigation will bring the guilty to justice.”

According to preliminary police findings, the duo mistakenly rode onto the incomplete bridge in the darkness, unaware of the missing span ahead. The absence of proper barricading or warning signage is being cited as a major factor in the accident.

Eyewitnesses and villagers have blamed the contractor for negligence. They noted that the bridge, like several others along the highway, remains incomplete even though the adjoining road is operational, prompting commuters to take risky shortcuts.

This is not the first such incident on the stretch. Locals recalled a similar mishap four months ago when a car nearly fell off the same bridge but was stopped by a pile of gravel.

The recurring nature of such accidents has raised serious concerns about safety standards and project oversight on the 203-km Indore–Ichhapur (Edlabad) highway, which is being developed in four phases at a cost of over Rs 1,100 crore.

The highway, intended to improve connectivity between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, has seen multiple construction-related fatalities in recent months, including a tunnel collapse near Choral in June that killed two workers.

--IANS

sktr/dan