At least nine people died on Wednesday after a bridge collapsed in Gujarat’s Vadodara district, also causing multiple vehicles to plunge into the river below. The bridge, known as the Gambhira Bridge, connects Vadodara and Anand, and is said to be 45 years old.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his condolences and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 each to those injured. “The loss of lives due to the collapse of a bridge in Vadodara district, Gujarat, is deeply saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” PM Modi said.
How did the bridge collapse?
It was not the entire bridge, but a section of the bridge in Vadodara’s rural area that collapsed early on Wednesday morning, causing several vehicles to fall into the river. According to Superintendent of Police Rohan Anand, a 15-metre-long slab of the bridge gave way around 7:30 am. Gujarat minister Rushikesh Patel said the bridge was built in 1985 and had been maintained from time to time. It is suspected that the bridge might have collapsed because it was four-decades old but Patel said that the exact cause of the collapse will be investigated.
Video footage from the site shows that the entire concrete slab between two pillars of the bridge had fallen, leading to the vehicles crashing into the water below. Rescue efforts are ongoing.
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said that apart from the 9 people who were killed, there were 7 who were rescued. “CM sent a high committee to the spot in the morning itself and he has sought a report at the earliest,” Sanghavi said. He added that the CM was taking this seriously and has directed a team of Roads and Buildings Department and other departments to take “concrete measures.”
A video from the scene shows a truck left hanging dangerously at the edge of the broken bridge, highlighting the severity of the collapse. Around five to six vehicles are said to have fallen into the river.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said that the Road Construction Department has been asked to begin an urgent investigation into the bridge collapse. He said that a team including the Chief Engineer Design, Chief Engineer South Gujarat, and two private bridge construction experts has been sent to the site. They will conduct a preliminary inquiry into the reasons behind the collapse and other technical issues, and submit a detailed report.
Rescue operations underway
Visuals showed the entire slab of the bridge between two piers having collapsed. The incident occurred at around 7.30 am, and the vehicles, including two trucks and two vans, fell into the river, Padra police inspector Vijay Charan earlier said. Teams from the Vadodara fire department and locals joined the rescue operation which was still on, an official said. A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also left for the incident site with rescue equipment, the official said.
The 900-metre-long Gambhira bridge has 23 piers and connects Vadodara and Anand districts of Gujarat. It was inaugurated in 1985.
Congress takes jibe at ‘Gujarat Model’
Taking a swipe at the state government, the Congress said, “This accident exposes the rampant corruption carried out in the name of the Gujarat Model.” Sharing a video of the collapsed structure on their X handle, the Congress party said, “In this accident, several vehicles fell into the river, resulting in the tragic death of some people and injuries to many others. The Congress family expresses deep condolences to the affected families. We also pray to God that he grants a speedy recovery to the injured.”
(With inputs from Agencies)