Jammu and Kashmir: Death toll in Jammu bridge collapse rises to three, two engineers suspended

Workers were working on repairs to the bridge when the accident occurred. The bridge developed cracks after flash floods in 2025 and was buried under rubble after part of the structure suddenly collapsed on Friday. One worker, Tarsem Lal, was rescued and hospitalized for injuries, and three bodies were recovered during the 12-hour operation. The deceased were identified as Panchu Sethi (50) from Odisha’s Ganjam district, and Harish Kumar (28) and Raj Kumar (30) from Chhattisgarh.“An official from the fire and emergency department, Mohammad Jaafar, was also injured when he was hit by a boulder during the rescue operation and is currently hospitalized,” an official said.Soon after the bridge collapsed, a team consisting of the police, Army, SDRF, NDRF and civil administration rushed to the spot and launched a coordinated rescue operation. Heavy machinery, including a JCB, was put into use to speed up search and rescue efforts.Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary visited the spot at midnight and ordered the suspension of Assistant Executive Engineer Sahil Verma and Junior Engineer Sajad Mir pending investigation under Rule 331 of the J&K Civil Servants (Classification, Control and Appeals) Rules, 1956.The government has also established a three-member commission of inquiry to investigate all aspects of the incident, including any negligence on the part of department officials, and to determine responsibility, particularly that of executive agencies. The committee will also recommend action against those responsible and recommend measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. It has been directed to submit a report within 15 days.