Four injured as portion of Purvanchal Expressway caves in amid heavy rain

Four people were injured after a portion of the newly-constructed Purvanchal Expressway caved near Haliyapur in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur district following heavy rains, officials said on Friday.

Officials in the know of the matter said the incident occurred late on Thursday night, and the injured people, who were travelling in a car, were taken to a nearby medical facility where they are stated to be out of danger.

Following the incident, officials of the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) first stopped traffic on the expressway before diverting it.

“A part of the expressway in Haliyapur police station limits caved in on Thursday night. The UPEIDA security officer reached the spot and set up a diversion. Most of the repair and maintenance work was completed by Friday morning,” Sultanpur district magistrate Raveesh Gupta said, PTI reported.

In Sultanpur region, where the incident took place, 11.6mm rainfall was reported on Thursday and 1mm on Friday.

In November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new expressway, which connects Lucknow to Ghazipur district in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Reacting to the incident, the Congress tweeted: “UP’s Purvanchal Expressway has caved in. Thousands of crores were spent (to build it), but it could not bear the rain. A car entered a 15-feet big pit. Just before the UP (assembly) elections, PM Modi had inaugurated the incomplete (‘aadhe adhure’) expressway. Now, the result is out. Modi Ji... to whom were the ‘revri’ (freebies) distributed?”

Former deputy chief minister and BJP leader Dinesh Sharma said: “Government is serious about the issue. Necessary action will be taken. No below standard work has been carried out (on Purvanchal expressway)