RAWALPINDI: A three-member committee led by Commissioner Azmat Mehmood on Wednesday began investigating the collapse of an under-construction bridge in Jhelum which could not withstand gusty winds and caved in three days ago before its inauguration by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

A senior official of divisional administration told Dawn that the bridge collapsed because of design fault and use of substandard material.

The construction on Rs330 million bridge, which will connect Pind Dadan Khan with Jhelum at Nogaran, began in November 2014.

However, on May 23, the bridge collapsed, causing embracement to the provincial government.

Talking to Dawn, Commissioner Azmat Mehmood said he visited Jhelum on Wednesday to see the situation and get initial reports from the local administration.

He said the Engineering University Taxila head of department and other experts would visit the site and get samples of the material used in the construction of the bridge and examine the design.

He said the committee would soon prepare its report to present it before the Punjab chief minister.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2016