An engineer and two workers died after a concrete slab fell on them during construction work of a bridge over the Kathajodi River here on Saturday, police said.

Two others suffered critical injuries in the incident and are undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital here, they said.

Locals and police personnel rushed to the accident site and rescued the workers, Cuttack DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said.

“The crane malfunctioned while lifting the huge concrete slab that fell on the workers and the site engineer,” he said.

The DCP said the exact cause of the mishap is yet to be ascertained.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is on a visit to Mumbai, has ordered an inquiry into the incident, and asked minister Prithivi raj Harichandan to meet the injured persons.

Majhi expressed grief over the deaths and wished a speedy recovery of the injured.

Harichandan said a probe will be conducted by a technical committee headed by the engineer-in-chief.

“The team will submit the inquiry report within 15 days. Action will be taken against those found guilty as per the rules,” he said.

“The CM has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the next of kin of the deceased. He has also announced free medical treatment of those injured in the accident…,” the CMO said in a post on X.

Leader of the Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik has also condoled the deaths, and wished a speedy recovery of the injured workers.

Meanwhile, Cuttack Mayor and opposition BJD leader Subhas Singh, who visited the SCB Medical College and Hospital, alleged that the mishap was an outcome of gross negligence on the part of the government.