WATCH | At least 12 dead as bridge collapses in Gujarat's Vadodara

Ahmedabad: At least 12 people were killed and six others injured after a portion of a bridge over the Mahisagar river collapsed in Gujarat’s Vadodara district early Wednesday morning.

The incident was reported at around 7:30 am when one of the 23 spans of the Gambhira Bridge, connecting Mujpur in Vadodara to Gambhira in Anand district suddenly gave way, causing at least four vehicles to plunge into the river.

Rescue operations were launched with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), fire brigade, and local police. Scores of villagers also helped in the rescue work, having arrived at the scene first. They are reported to have saved six to seven lives. Officials said that three people were still missing, and the death toll may rise.

Among the injured was Raju Hathiya, 30, a truck cleaner who was travelling from Devbhumi Dwarka to Ankleshwar in Anand. “Everything happened so fast. The truck fell into the water and I climbed on top and was rescued by locals. I don’t know what happened to the driver,” he said from his hospital bed.

Among the deceased were three members of a family including Ramesh Padhiyar (38), his daughter Vedika (4), and son Naitik (3), from Mujpur. Other identified victims include Vakhatsinh Jadav (55), Hasmukh Parmar (40), Rajesh Chavda (22), Pravin Jadav (33), Kanjibhai Machi (40), Jasubhai Harijan (65), and Sukhbhai Vagadiya (32).

Several video clips from the collapse site showed a tanker teetering dangerously at the edge of the broken bridge and a woman was heard screaming for help to rescue her son. Among the vehicles which fell into the river was an Eeco van in which at least seven passengers were travelling.

Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya, who reached the spot in the morning, had initially confirmed nine deaths. Later, the state government informed that ten people had been killed while six were injured.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had directed the roads and buildings department to immediately investigate the cause of the collapse.

A team of senior engineers was dispatched to conduct a preliminary inquiry and submit a report. Rushikesh Patel, government spokesperson and minister, said that the bridge, about 40 years old, was being repaired periodically. He added that an investigation was under way to find out the cause of the bridge collapse.

Local Congress leader Harshad Parmar, a district panchayat member from Mujpur, refuted the claim, alleging that the bridge was in a dilapidated condition for years. He shared a 2022 letter which he reportedly sent to the concerned authorities demanding urgent repairs.

The incident drew comparisons to the Morbi bridge collapse of October 30, 2022, in which 135 people lost their lives. The British-era suspension bridge collapsed due to lapses at administrative level and poor repair work undertaken by clock-making firm Oreva.

Following that tragedy, the Gujarat government had submitted an undertaking before the High Court to create a uniform bridge maintenance policy to be followed by municipalities and municipal corporations.

In response to Wednesday’s collapse, the Congress party released a list of 21 bridge collapses since 2007 and demanded accountability from the government and action against those responsible.