Uttarakhand's 'Signature Bridge', Under Construction, Collapses

A huge bridge being built in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag came crashing down today, officials said. No one was injured.

Called the 'Signature Bridge', it was the first of its kind in the hill state, sources said. The bridge was being built by RCC Developers at a cost of Rs 76 crore.

It was being constructed in Narkota on the Badrinath Highway in Rudraprayag.

"The incident happened at 4.15 pm. The foundation is intact. Only the tower collapsed. A technical committee will look into the incident and see what went wrong," an official said.

Locals alleged the work has been going on in a shoddy and negligent manner. "The highway authority and the government are not paying enough attention," a local resident alleged in an interview with reporters. "Why can't they take this project off the present company and give it to another?" he said.

Another official said usually 40 workers would work around this time everyday. "No one was working on the bridge today," the official said.