A catastrophic collapse of a section of the Gambhira bridge in Gujarat’s Vadodara district claimed 13 lives on Wednesday, plunging five vehicles into the Mahisagar River below. The incident, which occurred during peak morning traffic near Padra town, has sparked a massive rescue operation and raised questions about infrastructure safety.
The Gambhira bridge, a critical link between central Gujarat and the Saurashtra region, saw a slab give way, sending vehicles, including a truck laden with soil and ceramic tiles, crashing into the river. The disaster unfolded around 7:30 a.m., disrupting connectivity between Anand and Vadodara districts. Rescue efforts, involving local authorities, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), have been underway for over 12 hours, with operations continuing under floodlights into the night.
District officials, including the Vadodara Collector, have been on-site since the morning, overseeing the response. Heavy machinery, including a Hitachi machine, was deployed to upright the submerged truck, with wires used to stabilize it during retrieval efforts. So far, three bodies have been recovered from the wreckage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences, calling the loss of lives “deeply saddening.” He announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, in a phone call with Modi during the latter’s foreign visit, confirmed that a high-level inquiry has been ordered. The Roads and Buildings Department has been tasked with investigating the cause of the collapse, with technical experts dispatched to the site.
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The 900-meter-long Gambhira bridge, built in 1985 and supported by 23 piers, has been a vital route for transport vehicles heading to Saurashtra. Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel noted that periodic maintenance had been conducted, but the exact cause of the collapse remains under investigation. The incident has prompted widespread concern about the structural integrity of aging infrastructure in the region.
Rescue operations continue as authorities work to locate any remaining survivors and recover vehicles from the river. The tragedy has left the local community in mourning, with the focus now on supporting affected families and preventing future disasters.