Some 15 construction workers were injured, one of them seriously, when the steel structure of a bridge under construction in the Lusail City collapsed last evening. Most of the victims were Nepalese, including the one who was critically injured. He fell unconscious after the incident and was admitted to the trauma unit of the Emergency Department at the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). The incident occurred at around 6pm as work was underway on the steel structure that was being readied for concrete, some of the injured workers told The Peninsula. “We were more than 15 people working on the structure. It suddenly collapsed and all of us were trapped under it,” said a Nepalese worker, who suffered injuries in his legs. The workers were rescued in a few minutes using a crane that lifted the steel structure. An HMC ambulance and a rescue team reached the spot in another 10 minutes, said the worker. Three of the victims, including the one who suffered serious injuries, were taken to the ambulance on stretchers. Most of the victims suffered leg and hand fractures and cuts in different parts of their bodies, apparently caused by steel rods. There were about 35 workers on duty but some of them were at their accommodation when the incident happened, said a source from a company involved in the project. “As far we know, some 15 workers were injured and were taken to the HMC emergency and six of them were later shifted to the outpatient department at the Emergency Department,” said the source. The cause of the crash could not be known immediately. “We don’t know how it happened. Perhaps the steel structure did not have have proper support. “We were all wearing protective gears but they will not help when a structure collapses,” said a worker. Another source from the company said he was not aware of any defects or lapses in the construction process. “We were following the usual process. At present we don’t have details about what exactly happened. “We are still trying to collect information about the workers involved in the incident,” said the source. Lusail City project comprises a metro rail besides residential and commercial buildings, marinas, lusxury hotels and entertainment spots. Contacted, a senior official at the Nepalese embassy said the mission had no information about the incident. “We will try to gather information and call you back if we get something,” said the official at around 8pm. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/252841-lusail-bridge-project-caves-in-15-injured.html

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