Bridge girder in Japan slips; two killed, four injured

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Two persons died and six were injured after a bridge girder slipped off a raised platform at a construction site in central Japan on Thursday, reported Kyodo News Agency. The incident took place around 3.10 am (local time) in Shizuoka Prefecture. Of the 6 injured, 4 were severely hurt and the other two sustained injuries. The police said none of the victims are in a life-threatening condition.

However, over 30 construction workers were building a multi-level bypass when the accident took place, reported Kyodo News Agency. Kyodo News is a non-profit cooperative news agency based in Minato, Tokyo. Following the incident, the police conducted an on-site inspection of the site to check the safety practices there. As police continue their investigations, it is expected to remove the girder on Friday. They are also considering charging those who were found responsible for professional negligence resulting in death, as per Kyodo News Agency.

The police said, the roughly 65-meter-long steel frame weighs around 140 tons and was intended to form the foundation of the elevated roadway, slipped from a height of some 9 meters. According to the Shizuoka National Highway Office, the employees were shifting the steel frame to a different position when the incident occurred. As a precautionary measure, the road below the platform had been closed to traffic and there were no cars or pedestrians in the vicinity, according to Kyodo News Agency.

An official at Namura Shipbuilding Co, which is part of a consortium that won the contract for the construction work, said, "We have heard that many people have been injured. We take this incident seriously and we are very sorry." According to the highway office, the elevated bypass is being installed to alleviate traffic congestion. The bridge is scheduled to open in the spring of 2026, Kyodo News Agency reported.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism responded to the incident and ordered the temporary suspension of elevated road projects it has commissioned. It is not yet known when work on the suspended projects will restart.

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