Vadodara: At least 13 people, including two children, died on Wednesday morning when a section of the Gambhira bridge collapsed in Gujarat’s Vadodara district, causing multiple vehicles to plunge into the Mahisagar river. The bridge, which connects Vadodara to Anand, gave way between two piers around 7:00 a.m. One of the survivors, 35-year-old Sonalben Padhiyar, lost her entire family in the incident. Her husband Ramesh Padhiyar (38), daughter Vedika (4), and son Naitik (2) were among the victims.
According to officials, a large slab of the bridge collapsed suddenly, sending at five vehicles, including a van and a truck, into the river. Visuals from the site showed a truck hanging from the broken edge of the bridge and other vehicles submerged in the water below. Sonalben, a resident of Mujpur village in Padra taluka of Vadodara, was travelling with six others in a van en route to Bagdana in Bhavnagar for a religious visit. She was seated in the rear of the van and survived the fall.
“We were crossing the bridge when it collapsed. A truck fell on top of our vehicle. I survived because I was at the back. My husband and children died on the spot,” she shared. In a video that has since gone viral, she can be seen crying for help while sitting on the damaged vehicle. “My son has drowned, my husband has drowned,” she is heard shouting.
Emergency services were deployed to the site shortly after the collapse. Divers and disaster response teams launched a rescue operation, and the bodies of several victims were recovered from the river. Authorities have confirmed 13 fatalities so far, and fear the toll could rise. An investigation has been ordered to determine the cause of the collapse, including whether structural weaknesses or recent weather conditions played a role.
The Gambhira bridge serves as a key connector between central Gujarat and the Saurashtra region. Officials are now assessing the structural integrity of similar bridges in the area. The Gujarat government has announced compensation for the families of the deceased and assured accountability. Further updates are expected as rescue operations continue and the probe progresses.