The Umarkote police on Sunday arrested Assistant Executive Engineer Asit Patra in connection with the collapse of the under-construction bridge near Talapadar village in Nabarangpur district that killed a labourer and left three others critically injured.

Patra was arrested from Tikiri in Rayagada district, informed Umarkote SDPO Hemant Padhi. An FIR had earlier been lodged against Patra, contractor Ashish Biswal, and Junior Engineer Niranjan Sahu at the Umarkote police station. Contractor Biswal has already been arrested. A portion of the bridge over the Nagi river had collapsed on January 10 while centering work was underway. Four labourers working on the bridge fell down and a heap of concrete and iron rod buried them.  Other labourers, who were staying near the construction site, rescued the injured ones and rushed them to the Umarkote Hospital.

One of the injured, Mahendra Mali (45), succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at the hospital. Work for the bridge, which is being constructed to connect Talapadar with Janiguda, was awarded to Bhubaneswar-based contractor Ashish Biswal. The bridge is being built under the Biju Setu Yojana. “As per the preliminary probe, the mishap occurred due to the centering failure. Either the iron pipes used for the centering were not able to take the load or there was spacing between the pipes, the details would be known after a thorough examination.

Also, samples of the materials have been sent to a laboratory for tests,” said Superintending Engineer, Sunabeda, Pradeep Jena after visiting the site.