Highway work: Trailer truck driver injured

Kottayam: The driver of a trailer truck carrying a girder for the elevated national highway construction was injured after the vehicle overturned in Alappuzha on Thursday. The accident took place near Mulakkada temple at Malikamukku around 9am.

Truck driver Radhesh Shyam, 45, from UP, who sustained injuries after the window of the driver's cabin broke, was admitted to the Alappuzha General Hospital.

An autorickshaw parked in front of a nearby house was also damaged. A local resident, who had come to the house to collect water, escaped narrowly as he managed to stay clear upon seeing the truck falling.

The 100-tonne girder was to be installed between the third and fourth pillars of the second bypass overbridge under construction. While proceeding towards a crane, the trailer overturned after it ran over a concrete slab over a drain which broke. The girder fell down with a huge sound and broke into two pieces. The girder was cut using a gas cutter while the trailer was moved to a safe place.

It is the second time in two months that an accident has happened during the construction of the bypass. Four huge girders collapsed near Alappuzha beach on March 3. Cracks appeared on the walls of some houses in the locality. TNN