Tragic Bridge Collapse in Vadodara, Gujarat Claims 13 Lives
A heart-wrenching incident occurred today in Vadodara, Gujarat, when a bridge over the Masagar River suddenly collapsed. At the time of the collapse, several vehicles were crossing the bridge, unaware that this journey would be their last. Two trucks, two cars, and a rickshaw—five vehicles in total—plunged directly into the river. A tanker narrowly avoided falling, getting stuck at the broken edge of the bridge, raising fears that the death toll could have been even higher had it fallen as well.
The river’s strong current, the debris, and the ongoing rescue efforts have made the situation extremely challenging. Grief, cries, and silence fill the air. The bridge, known locally as the Padra Gambhira Bridge, was around 45 years old and served as a crucial link between South Gujarat and Saurashtra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the tragedy and announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). The collapse has not only severed a key route but also shattered the hopes and dreams of many families.
With the bridge gone, travel between cities like Bharuch, Surat, Navsari, Tapi, and Valsad in South Gujarat to Saurashtra will now take much longer, requiring a detour via Ahmedabad. The images emerging from the site are truly heartbreaking.
As soon as news of the collapse reached the nearby village of Mujpur, locals rushed to the scene to assist with rescue operations. According to local MLA Chaitanya Singh, “So far, 11 bodies have been recovered and five people have been rescued alive. The rescue operation is still ongoing. There may still be two or three bodies trapped inside, but we will know more as vehicles are pulled out.” Teams from the fire department, SDRF, NDRF, and local youth are all involved in the rescue efforts.
Locals have blamed the administration for the tragedy, stating that they had repeatedly requested repairs for the decades-old bridge, but their warnings were ignored. They allege that officials took no action despite multiple alerts, which ultimately led to the disaster. The bridge, a key route between Vadodara and Anand, had become dangerously weak in recent years and was no longer suitable for heavy traffic.
This incident is not just about the collapse of a bridge but is being seen as evidence of a crumbling system. Many believe that timely inspections and maintenance could have prevented the tragedy. According to a 2024 Times of India report, the Ministry of Road Transport informed the Rajya Sabha that 21 bridges on national highways collapsed in the past three years—15 of them were completed structures, and six were under construction.
A 2020 study published in the International Journal of Structure and Infrastructure Engineering analyzed bridge collapses in India from 1977 to 2017 and found that 2,130 bridges had collapsed over 40 years. The main causes were natural disasters (80.3%), material failure (10.1%), and overloading (3.28%).
Some of India’s major recent bridge disasters include the Morbi suspension bridge collapse in 2022, which claimed 135 lives, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus foot overbridge collapse in 2019, and the Varanasi flyover collapse in 2018, among others.
The Vadodara tragedy has once again highlighted the urgent need for regular inspection, testing, and maintenance of bridges across the country. It is clear that ensuring the safety of our infrastructure must be a top priority to prevent such devastating incidents in the future.
What are your thoughts on this incident? Share your views in the comments section and stay tuned to Navbharat Times for more updates.
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