Update: Three Dead After Bailey Bridge Collapse in Panchthar’s Hewa Khola

Three workers who were injured when an under-construction Bailey bridge collapsed in Hewa Khola, Panchthar, along the Mechi Highway, have died.

According to police, the victims were 22-year-old Rupalal Chaudhary, 27-year-old Rajan Chaudhary, and another 22-year-old Prakash Chaudhary — all from Simara Sub-Metropolitan City, Bara. They were critically injured in Saturday’s accident and were taken to Nobel Hospital in Biratnagar, where doctors confirmed their deaths.

Initially, there were reports of one person dying on the spot, but the authorities had not confirmed it right away. The bridge collapsed at around 6 PM on Saturday. It had just been placed from Phidim Municipality-4 to Hilihang Rural Municipality-7 when the structure fell.

In total, six people were injured. Among them, two are still in critical condition and two others have sustained minor injuries. All were taken to Nobel Medical College in Biratnagar for treatment. The injured include 25-year-old Bhuleshwar Chaudhary, 35-year-old Prakash Chaudhary, and 30-year-old Abhishek Chaudhary — also from Simara-12, Bara.

This Bailey bridge was being constructed after a concrete bridge at the same location was swept away by a flood on Asar 2, 2080 BS. A second Bailey bridge, built after the first one was again destroyed by a flood on Asoj 12, 2081 BS, was in the process of installation by Dobhan Super Saugat Light Builders JV, contracted by the federal government through the Road Division Office, Ilam.

Currently, a temporary diversion using Hume pipes is being used for traffic, but it is at risk of washing away during heavy rainfall. With the collapse of the Bailey bridge, road connections to Fidim, Taplejung, and the rural municipalities of Hilihang, Yangwarak, and Falelung may be disrupted during the monsoon season.

The 70-meter-long single-span bridge was described by engineers as a modular bridge and would have been the longest of its kind in Nepal. The government had allocated over NPR 34.9 million for its construction, and the tender process began in the month of Falgun.