Six injured in Vizag as YSR park’s arch collapses

Fire and police personnel clearing the rubble after the slab of the welcome arch of the YSR-VUDA Central Park collapsed on Monday. Photo: C. V. Subrahmanyam

The arch of the YSR-VUDA Central Park gate, which was under construction, collapsed here on Monday afternoon, injuring 17 people.

Police said that out of the 17 persons injured, only six required were hospitalised. All the injured who were rushed to the King George Hospital were said to be out of danger. Of the six, two were VUDA's junior engineers supervising the work and the other four were labourers.

One of the junior engineers, Arjuna Rao, suffered a fracture. One of the labourers also suffered a fracture.

The arch collapsed when a slab of the 26-foot tall and 33-foot wide arch that abuts the administrative building, also under construction, was being laid.

The park occupies over 18 acres at a cost of Rs. 35 crore.

Concrete was being poured to lay the slab and vibrators were used to spread it. It was learnt that the vibrators led to the loosening of the scaffolding, leading to the collapse.

VUDA Vice-Chairman N. Yuvaraj, who visited the site soon after the accident and supervised the clearing of debris, said experts from the Andhra University Civil Engineering Department would visit the spot. Depending on its outcome, action would be taken against the contractor, he told mediapersons.

The large pile of rubble led to fears that some people could have been trapped under it, which was allayed after police and fire personnel cleared the debris. Sureshbabu and Mohammed Khan, assistant deputy commissioners of police,Traffic and Crime, visited the spot.