A catastrophic structural failure on the Aroor–Thuravoor elevated highway in Kerala claimed the life of a 36-year-old substitute driver early Thursday when a colossal 32-meter, 8,000-kilogram concrete girder plummeted from the under-construction flyover, completely flattening his egg-laden pickup van in a matter of seconds and trapping him beneath tons of reinforced concrete near Chandhiroor.

The victim, identified as Rajesh from Jishnubhavan, Pallippad in Haripad, had been urgently called in for night duty to transport goods from Tamil Nadu to Alappuzha after unloading in Ernakulam; traveling alone at approximately 2:30 am, he became the unwitting casualty of what officials described as a dual-girder collapse—one falling entirely and another partially—resulting in the vehicle being mangled beyond recognition under the immense weight.

Rescue operations, involving heavy cranes, hydraulic cutters, and emergency crews from multiple agencies, stretched over three grueling hours as teams meticulously dismantled sections of the pulverized van to extract Rajesh’s body; the sheer scale of the debris and the precarious position of the remaining girders demanded extreme caution, delaying recovery until dawn and underscoring the lethal hazards of ongoing infrastructure projects conducted over active traffic corridors.

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National highway traffic has been severely disrupted with immediate effect, forcing vehicles from Alappuzha to detour via Arookutty and those from Ernakulam to navigate through Poochakkal and Cherthala X-ray Junction; the vehicle owner has lodged strong allegations of contractor negligence, claiming inadequate safety protocols and structural oversight, while Public Works Minister P A Muhammad Riyas has demanded a detailed report from the PWD secretary to ascertain accountability.

Local residents and Aroor MLA Daleema Jojo have voiced profound grief and mounting frustration, noting that despite repeated warnings to the district collector about recurring accidents in the flyover zone and the need for stringent barricades, night-time safety illumination, and load-bearing inspections, authorities have consistently failed to implement corrective measures—transforming a vital connectivity project into a deadly gauntlet for nighttime travelers.

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