Gujarat Mahisagar river bridge collapses, 9-13 people dead, many injured.
A 43-year-old Gambhira bridge collapsed in Gujarat’s Vadodara district around 7:30 am today, killing at least 9 people. Located on the Mahisagar river in Padra taluka, this bridge connected Muzaffarpur to Gambhira and Vadodara to Anand and central Gujarat to Saurashtra.
There was a crowded atmosphere on the bridge at the time of the accident. Due to which many vehicles fell into the river after the bridge collapsed. It is being claimed that 9-13 people died in this accident.
Rescue operations were carried out by the local administration and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
The bridge was repaired last year, and the state government had sanctioned ₹212 crore for a new bridge over the river three months ago, the design and tendering of which was already underway.
The 2022 Morbi bridge collapse, which killed over 135 people, has been fresh in people’s minds since the bridge collapse, sparking a nationwide debate on infrastructure maintenance and alleged negligence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh for the families of those killed in the accident.
Following the accident, the opposition Congress targeted Gujarat and the central government, accusing them of criticizing the incident by calling the “Gujarat model” that the BJP and the Prime Minister never tire of praising, a model of corruption.