Mizoram Bridge Collapse: Another tragic disaster on the Himalayan rail projects

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Under construction Railway #bridge collapsed at #Sairang, 21km from #Aizawl on Wednesday, 23rd August, 2023, atleast 17 workers died. Several other are injured, as about 40 workers present at the site when this unfortunate incident occurred.

Alok Kumar Verma, IRSE (Retd.)

Tragedy foretold!

I had warned about these 7 years ago in 2015-16 in detailed reports to Northeast Frontier Railway (#NFR) and #RailwayBoard.

This disaster which claimed scores of lives is the 5th recent major disaster in Northeast region. The previous ones are:

2022: Landslides on the newly constructed Lumding Silchar line and at the site at Tupul on the Manipur line. 60 workers died at Tupul.

2015: Landslides on the Lumding-Silchar and Manipur line.

https://x.com/trains_are_best/status/1465936915597697026?s=46

Two express trains derailed. Luckily passengers were unhurt as the train didn’t capsize at the landslide.

The Silchar line was shut down for 2 months. Several under construction bridges and tunnels were damaged on the Manipur project.

https://x.com/trains_are_best/status/1586939450340233216?s=46

Outside of the Northeast region, 6 major collapses occurred on the Kashmir project in recent past:

2017: Collapse at Sumber. Restoration still incomplete. About INR 125 crore spent.

https://x.com/trains_are_best/status/1534192357549043712?s=46

Since 2016: Repeated landslides at Sangaldan. Incomplete.

2021: Tunnel 13 collapsed. Restoration is incomplete.

2015-17: Bridge No. 40, 41 & 42. Reconstruction still in progress.

The root cause of these failures, the ballooning costs, and the high risk to #stability and #safety of #bridges, and #tunnels on these 7 under #construction lines in #Himalayas is their deeply flawed alignment.

https://x.com/trains_are_best/status/1526805349248159745?s=46

I pointed out this first in 2007 on the #Kashmir project.

Warnings by two expert committees in 2009 & 2015, serving Member Engineering, who suspended construction on the Kashmir line in Aug 2008, Delhi HC 2010 & 2014, and the #CAG in 2012 were ignored by Railway Board as they pushed on with the failing construction.

Incident took place in new line project between Bhairabi-Sairang

https://x.com/railwhispers/status/1694374211140419943?s=46

I hope this #tragedy, which has caught the world’s attention, will result in serious introspection by Government of India at this construction methodology based on pseudo #science and #engineering.

Update at 9:30 am 24 Aug 2023

After 14 years, #RailwayBoard began copying my alignment methodology for developing alignments for the rail line to #Leh, #Ladakh and NR engineers even came to me to discuss the alignment they developed.

Read my post below:

https://x.com/trains_are_best/status/1694564501109318108?s=46

They haven’t yet succeeded in developing proper alignments for #Leh and #Chardham lines because railway engineers still lack knowledge of the Himalayan #geology and #terrain. There is also the issue of gauge about which I have recommended Meter Gauge as you can see in above post.

https://x.com/trains_are_best/status/1694564535464788425?s=46

#Kashmir_rail_link #Chenab_Rail_Bridge #RishikeshKarnaprayagRailway #ManipurRailLink #MizoramRailLink #SikkimRailLink #MeghalayaRailLink NagalandRailLink #Bilaspur_Manali_Leh_Railway #ChaarDham_Railway #Humalayan_Geology #Meter_Gauge #Gauge

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