Lorry topples on Pamban bridge, poor lighting blamed

The incident happened around 4.30 am when the lorry was fast approaching the bridge from Ramanathapuram. When the vehicle was about to enter the bridge, the road was completely dark due to absence of streetlighting.

Driver Dinesh from Thiruvananthapuram, who apparently failed to notice a speed breaker on the road, suddenly applied the brakes and in the impact the lorry skid off the road. However, none of those in the lorry suffered any serious injuries in the incident. 

Due to the accident, the Pamban bridge was closed for vehicles and only after the lorry was removed with the help of cranes, traffic resumed after two hours. Because of the roadblock, fishermen could not transport fish to other towns on time.

The fishermen blamed lack of proper lighting on the bridge for the mishap. They said already lights on one side of the bridge were not functioning and now on the other side too, nearly 50 per cent of the lights were not functioning. 

Hundreds of vehicles cross the bridge on a daily basis to Rameswaram and on such a busy thoroughfare, the lighting should be proper in the nights. The district administration should ensure that all the lights function properly to prevent accidents, demanded the fishermen.