MP: How Did Two Farmers Die When Their Bike Fell Through an Incomplete Bridge?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Two farmers tragically lost their lives in Khargone due to inadequate safety measures.
- The bridge is still under construction and lacked proper warnings.
- Eyewitnesses blame contractor negligence for the accident.
- Similar incidents have occurred on the same highway.
- Authorities are investigating to hold responsible parties accountable.
Khargone, July 2 (NationPress) In a heartbreaking incident, two young farmers lost their lives when their motorcycle plunged through a missing segment of a bridge that is still under construction on the Indore–Edlabad National Highway, close to Baswa village, which falls under the Sanawad police jurisdiction in Madhya Pradesh.
The deceased, identified as Sanjay Dhakse (30) and Dharmendra Kohre (35), both hailing from Chhapra village, were on their way home after buying soybean seeds from Sanawad when the tragedy struck.
Their bodies were discovered on Wednesday by locals taking a stroll, found lying beneath the bridge next to their motorcycle and mobile phone. They alerted the police. Rameshwar Thakur, the investigating officer and head of Sanawad police station, mentioned, “Both individuals were deceased, and the precise time and cause of death will be determined following the post-mortem report.”
Upon inquiry about the presence of warning signs or barricades at the incomplete bridge, Thakur responded, “Cement blocks were placed on either side of the incomplete sections of the bridge, but we will investigate further. A MERG report has already been filed, and we will gather statements from the victims’ families to ensure justice is served.”
Initial police investigations suggest that the victims inadvertently rode onto the incomplete bridge in the darkness, oblivious to the missing span ahead. The lack of adequate barricading or warning signage is being highlighted as a significant factor contributing to the accident.
Eyewitnesses and local residents have pointed fingers at the contractor for negligence, noting that this bridge, along with several others on the highway, remains unfinished, despite the adjacent road being operational, compelling commuters to take dangerous shortcuts.
This incident is not an isolated case; residents recalled a similar event four months prior when a car nearly plummeted off the same bridge but was halted by a pile of gravel.
The frequency of such incidents has raised serious alarms regarding safety standards and oversight on the 203-km Indore–Ichhapur (Edlabad) highway, which is under development in four phases with an investment exceeding Rs 1,100 crore.
The highway aims to enhance connectivity between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra but has recently witnessed multiple construction-related fatalities, including a tunnel collapse near Choral in June that claimed the lives of two workers.