Ludhiana, Aug. 2 -- A road cave-in near Mintgumri Chowk in Model Town on Saturday morning exposed a 10-foot crater, after a portion of the road collapsed due to structural failure in an underground sewer chamber-allegedly triggered by careless cable drilling by a private firm.

Municipal Corporation officials who reached the spot said the collapse was caused by three walls of a stormwater sewer chamber giving way. The failure, according to initial findings, resulted from underground telecom cables puncturing the sewer system during drilling work, allowing water to seep into the soil and weaken the road foundation.

"Three walls of the chamber have caved in, and the manhole is filled with debris," said Randeep Singh, sub-divisional officer...