Bengaluru Underpass Collapse Kills Two Construction Workers

What Happened

A 20-foot-deep soil wall at an under-construction underpass near Bengaluru’s Dr Rajkumar Memorial collapsed on Tuesday, killing two construction workers and injuring three. The incident happened quickly, with eyewitnesses reporting that the workers were buried under a heap of soil within seconds. The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had been preparing to concretize a retaining wall along the dug-up portion, which extended approximately 100 meters and was about 20 feet deep. Workers had recently pumped out accumulated rainwater and were securing reinforcement bars when the wall gave way.

Eyewitnesses stated that the collapsed section of the wall had loosened due to rain the previous night. A mound of excavated soil piled above the section allegedly added to the pressure, causing the entire portion to give way.

Key Facts

• Two construction workers died and three were injured when a 20-foot-deep soil wall collapsed at an underpass construction site near Bengaluru’s Dr Rajkumar Memorial.
• The incident occurred on Tuesday.
• The wall that collapsed was part of an under-construction BDA underpass.
• Eyewitnesses reported that the soil wall had loosened following rain on Monday.
• A mound of excavated mud piled above the section was also cited as a contributing factor to the collapse.
• Three workers were buried up to their necks and were rescued by engineers and other workers using their bare hands.
• One additional person was retrieved from the mud and taken to the hospital but was declared dead.
• The body of another worker was retrieved after an hour-long operation by the Fire and Emergency Services.

Background

The construction work for the underpass had been ongoing for some time. The collapsed portion of the wall was approximately 100 meters long and 20 feet deep. Concrete vehicles had arrived at the site, and workers were engaged in securing reinforcement bars for the retaining wall at the time of the incident.