'Maro dikro doobi gayo': Gujarat bridge collapse survivor whose family died
Morning began on a good note for Sonalben's family, as they were headed to Bagdana to offer prayers. Little did they know that things would take an awry turn.
Surrounded by vehicles plunged inside the Mahisagar river and sitting on top of one of them, a woman kept crying for help, saying her husband and son have drowned. Sonalben Padhiyar, 35, is one of the survivors of the collapse of Gambhira bridge in Vadodara district.
Wednesday morning began on a good note for Sonalben and her family, as they were headed to Bagdana in Bhavnagar to offer prayers. Little did they know that things would take an awry turn for them, leaving Sonalben the sole survivor.
A viral video capturing Sonalben in a pink saree shows her profusely crying, seeking help from those near the accident site. "Maro dikro doobi gayo, Maro gharwalo doobi gayo… (My son has drowned, my husband has drowned)... please save them," Sonalben can be heard shouting, surrounded by vehicles involved in the tragic accident.
She is the only one from her family who survived the accident, and her husband Ramesh Padhiyar (38), daughter Vedika (4) and son Naitik (2) were among those killed, reported news agency PTI.
An inconsolable Sonalben recalled how the tragedy unfolded, and how she kept crying for help after it. In an even more horrifying development, a truck fell on the vehicle Sonalben and her family was travelling inside.
{{/usCountry}}An inconsolable Sonalben recalled how the tragedy unfolded, and how she kept crying for help after it. In an even more horrifying development, a truck fell on the vehicle Sonalben and her family was travelling inside.
{{/usCountry}}Detailing how the day began, Sonalben told news agency PTI, "We were headed to Bagdana in Bhavnagar to offer prayers. There were seven passengers in our van. We left at 6.30 am and reached the bridge around 7 am. When we were crossing it, a portion collapsed, causing many vehicles to plunge into the river."
{{/usCountry}}Detailing how the day began, Sonalben told news agency PTI, "We were headed to Bagdana in Bhavnagar to offer prayers. There were seven passengers in our van. We left at 6.30 am and reached the bridge around 7 am. When we were crossing it, a portion collapsed, causing many vehicles to plunge into the river."
{{/usCountry}}She said she managed to survive the accident because she was sitting on the back side of the van, but her husband and children died because a truck fell right on top of their vehicle.
{{/usCountry}}She said she managed to survive the accident because she was sitting on the back side of the van, but her husband and children died because a truck fell right on top of their vehicle.
{{/usCountry}}"The water was also deep. I kept crying for help for nearly an hour, but no one came forward,” said Sonalben, a resident of Mujpur village in Padra taluka of Vadodara.
Sonalben also reportedly said no one came forward to help her as she sought help, with her family drowning. "I knew I had lost them, who would survive a car falling into Mahisagar? My grandson was the youngest, only two years old," an Indian Express report quoted her as saying.
However, in the viral video of Sonalben, the person recording from the bridge can be heard telling her that rescue teams are on their way.
At least ten people died in the collapse of the Gambhira bridge, which connects central Gujarat to the Saurashtra region. The entire bridge slab between two piers collapsed, making several vehicles plunge into the river beneath it.
According to Gujarat Minister Rushikesh Patel, the bridge was constructed in 1985, and its maintenance was carried out periodically as and when required.
(With PTI inputs)
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