Team Goemkarponn
GUIRIM: A serious mishap was narrowly avoided on Sunday when a segment of the under-construction Porvorim elevated corridor collapsed near the Guirim junction, severely disrupting traffic along the busy Mapusa-Panaji route.
One worker was injured in the incident and was promptly taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Eyewitnesses reported that the collapse occurred during a bridge deck lifting operation. A failure in the metal hooks led to the large concrete segment falling to the ground without warning.
The incident caused major traffic congestion and has triggered renewed concerns over safety and construction standards at the site.
The opposition Congress party condemned the incident and called for immediate punitive action against the contractor.
It demanded an independent, high-level investigation into the cause of the collapse, with full transparency of findings. The party also pushed for criminal charges against those responsible for negligence and insisted that third-party audit reports be made public before construction resumes or the bridge is commissioned.
Calling the event a “disaster-in-the-making,” a Congress spokesperson said, “This is not a minor error. It poses a serious threat to public safety.” The spokesperson criticized the apparent lack of strict quality control, third-party oversight, and structural audits at this critical phase of the project. “If the structure collapses during construction, how can the public trust its safety once completed? Public funds are being used, but it’s the public who is put at risk,” the party said.
