At least seven people were injured after a section of an under-construction bridge collapsed in the Jalalpur area of Bihar’s Vaishali district on Thursday (September 10). The incident occurred while construction work was underway, when a large portion of the bridge structure suddenly gave way, sending construction material and steel components crashing to the ground.
Six people sustained injuries in the collapse and were taken for medical treatment. Following the incident, a large crowd gathered at the site as authorities assessed the situation.
Officials said the bridge was being built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
“Seven people were injured, and they were taken to a government hospital for treatment. The victims sustained minor injuries,” District Magistrate Varsha Singh told PTI.
What NHAI said
In a statement, NHAI said the incident occurred while a launcher was being moved during construction work on NH-139W.
“No damage has been caused to the bridge structure in the incident,” the authority said.
“The NHAI remains fully committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality, ensuring the safety of workers at the worksite, and completing the construction within the stipulated timeline. To prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, safety standards and protocols are being strictly reassessed,” it added.
Opposition slams NDA govt
In a post on X, Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav criticised the NDA government over the incident.
“In Vaishali district, reports indicate that nearly half a dozen laborers were trapped and injured after yet another under-construction bridge collapsed under the weight of corruption. Several laborers are in critical condition,” Yadav wrote.
“Substandard construction materials, poor quality, disregard for standards, irregularities in inspections, and the corrupt role of NDA leaders are the main reasons behind the continuous bridge collapses,” he claimed.
The project forms part of a nearly 38.8-km road corridor connecting Bakarpur in Saran district to Manikpur in Muzaffarpur district via Lalganj in Vaishali. Authorities have ordered an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse and assess whether adequate safety measures were in place at the construction site.
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