Kerala: Van driver killed as girders fall from Aroor-Thuravoor highway

A 47-year-old pickup van driver was killed in Alappuzha when concrete girders from an under-construction highway fell on his vehicle. Police have booked the construction company for culpable homicide, citing negligence and lack of safety measures.

Kerala Police have registered an FIR after a pickup van driver was killed when concrete girders fell from an under-construction section of the Aroor-Thuravoor Elevated Highway early Thursday. The deceased has been identified as Rajesh (47), resident of Jishnu Bhavanam, Thekkekkara Kizhakku, Harippad in Alappuzha.

FIR Lodged for Negligence

According to the FIR, the accident occurred due to the negligence of the officials of the construction company, who allegedly failed to implement adequate safety and traffic control measures while placing the girders on the pillars near Eramalloor Moham Hospital. The case has been registered under Sections 105 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, for alleged culpable homicide not amounting to murder, at Aroor Police Station.

The incident took place at around 2:30 am. The girders collapsed onto the moving van, trapping the driver. His body was recovered after a three-hour rescue operation and shifted to the hospital.

Traffic Disrupted, Protests Erupt

Efforts are underway to remove the fallen girders, and traffic has been restricted on the national highway. Vehicles from Ernakulam are being diverted from Aroor, and rerouting is also in place at Cherthala Junction. Further details are awaited.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Kerala held a protest in Alappuzha after the accident. (ANI)

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