Gujarat bridge collapse: 40-yr-old structure was ‘flagged for repair by residents’, death toll now 9

Gambhira Bridge tragedy: Visuals showed an entire concrete slab between two piers having caved in, sending vehicles on it plunging straight into the river below

The Gambhira Bridge in Gujarat's Vadodara district, which collapsed and led to the death of at least nine people after vehicles fell into the river Mahisagar on Wednesday, served as a vital route between central Gujarat and the Saurashtra region for the past four decades. 

Rescuers and locals look for survivors after several vehicles fell into a river following the collapse of a portion of a bridge in Vadodara district of Gujarat on Wednesday.(AP)

The bridge, approximately 900 metres long and supported by 23 piers, was inaugurated in 1985. Local residents had repeatedly flagged the deteriorating condition of the bridge, but their appeals to the authorities for repairs were allegedly ignored, according to a report by NDTV.

Minister Rushikesh Patel, however, said maintenance work on the bridge, which linked Anand and Vadodara districts, was conducted periodically, whenever needed.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed his condolences over the incident and said a team has formed to investigate the cause of the collapse. 

Visuals from the site, near Padra town, showed that an entire concrete slab between two piers gave way, causing vehicles on it to fall directly into the river several feet below.

Cranes were used to pull out the submerged vehicles as the search continued. Preliminary assessments suggest that the poor structural condition and possible lack of maintenance may have contributed to the collapse.

The CM, in a post on X, he said, “Teams of the state roads and buildings department and private engineers specialising in bridge construction have been instructed to immediately reach the spot, conduct a preliminary investigation into the causes of the collapse and other technical matters, and submit a report.” The department secretary confirmed that a team has been sent.

He added, “The fire brigade team of the local municipality and Vadodara Municipal Corporation are working with boats and swimmers at the accident site as part of the rescue and relief operations. The NDRF team has also reached the scene and joined the rescue operation.”