Vadodara, July 9: Ten persons, including two siblings, were killed and nine others rescued, some of them with injuries, after multiple vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar river when a portion of a four-decade-old bridge collapsed in Vadodara district on Wednesday morning, officials said.
A slab of the Gambhira bridge, which connects central Gujarat to the Saurashtra region and is located near Padra town, caved in, killing ten persons, Superintendent of Police (Vadodara rural) Rohan Anand said.
Visuals from the site showed the entire chunk of the slab of the bridge between two piers has collapsed. The slab collapse caused the vehicles, which were passing through the bridge, to plunge into the river.
Five out of nine persons who were rescued were getting treated at state-run SSG Hospital in Vadodara city, Anand said, adding none of them is in a critical condition.
The SP said the 10 to 15 metres long slab of the bridge came crashing down at around 7.30 am.
The rescue operation, involving fire brigade personnel, local residents as well as a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), was still underway at the site, officials said.
At least half a dozen vehicles — two trucks, two vans, an autorickshaw and a two-wheeler — fell into the river after the bridge collapsed, Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya said.
Two other vehicles that came dangerously close to falling in the river were dragged away to a safer location, the collector said.
Three persons on a two-wheeler, which fell into the river, managed to swim to safety, he added.
According to the police, two out of ten persons who lost their lives were siblings — a two-year-old boy and his four-year-old sister. Most of the deceased were residents of Vadodara and Anand districts, and all except a child were male.
Out of five persons undergoing treatment at SSG Hospital, four were men and one woman. One of the injured is from Udaipur district in adjoining Rajasthan, police said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed grief over the tragedy and announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 4 lakh, respectively, to the next of the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 as compensation to the 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,” the PMO said on X.
Patel called the tragedy “extremely distressing,” and said the state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each person who lost their lives and Rs 50,000 to each of the injured.
He said an order has been given to the state’s roads and buildings department to conduct a probe into the collapse and submit a report.
In a post on X, the CM said teams of the state roads and buildings department and private engineers specialising in bridge construction have been instructed to immediately reach the spot and conduct a preliminary investigation into the causes of the collapse and other technical matters, and submit a report.
“A fire brigade team of the local municipality and the Vadodara Municipal Corporation are working with boats and swimmers at the accident site as part of rescue and relief operations. A NDRF team has also reached the scene and joined the rescue operation,” Patel informed.
Gujarat minister Rushikesh Patel said the bridge was constructed in 1985, and its maintenance was carried out as and when required.
“The exact reason behind the incident will be probed,” he said.
Teams from the Vadodara fire department and locals joined the rescue operation, an official said.
The nearly 900-metre-long Gambhira bridge has 23 piers and connects Vadodara and Anand districts of Gujarat. It was inaugurated in 1985. (PTI)
