The death toll in the Mahisagar river bridge collapse in Gujarat’s Vadodara district rose to 17 on Thursday, as rescue teams continued their search for three people still missing. The incident occurred around 7 am on Wednesday near Gambhira village close to Padra town, when a portion of the four-decade-old bridge linking Anand and Vadodara districts suddenly gave way, sending several vehicles plunging into the river.
According to Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya, at least 10 teams from the NDRF, SDRF and other agencies are engaged in search-and-rescue efforts. The vehicles, including a truck, remain stuck in thick riverbed silt, making retrieval difficult as machinery is unable to function in the conditions. “Bodies of 17 victims have been recovered so far. Five injured people are stable and will soon be discharged from the hospital,” Dhameliya said.
Engineers suspended after probe
Taking action over the collapse, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday suspended four engineers of the state's Roads and Buildings Department. Those suspended include Executive Engineer NM Nayakawala, Deputy Executive Engineers UC Patel and RT Patel, and Assistant Engineer JV Shah.
A government statement said the suspensions were based on findings of an expert report ordered by the Chief Minister, who also heads the Roads and Buildings department. The CM has directed officials to carry out immediate inspections of all bridges across the state.
Prior warnings ignored?
The incident has sparked outrage following the resurfacing of an August 2022 complaint by social activist Lakhan Darbar, who had warned officials about the deteriorating condition of the bridge. In a viral audio clip, Darbar is heard urging an R&B officer to either repair or rebuild the structure.
Vadodara panchayat member Harshadsinh Parmar had also reportedly flagged the issue in writing. Despite these warnings, suspended engineer Nayakawala had claimed post-collapse that the bridge showed “no major fault” during past inspections and that earlier issues with the bearing coat had already been fixed.
Pattern of collapses in Gujarat
The Mahisagar tragedy is the latest in a series of at least six major bridge collapses in Gujarat since 2021:
- Oct 2022: 135 people died in Morbi after the collapse of a British-era suspension bridge over the Machchhu river.
- June 2023: A newly built bridge collapsed in Tapi district — no casualties.
- Sept 2023: Four injured in Surendranagar after an old bridge gave way under a dumper.
- Oct 2023: Two dead after slabs of an under-construction bridge fell in Palanpur.
- Aug 2024: A bridge collapsed in Surendranagar due to dam overflow — no casualties.
- Dec 2021: A slab collapsed on an under-construction flyover near Ahmedabad — no injuries.
Demand for accountability grows
The frequency of such incidents, especially with warnings going unheeded, has raised serious questions about infrastructure safety and maintenance oversight in the state. As rescue efforts continue, pressure is mounting on the government to ensure accountability and systemic reform.
(With PTI inputs)
