Gujarat Bridge Collapse: Rescue Responded to Recover the Truck as the Death Count Mounted at 10
A terrible collapse of a bridge in the Vadodara District of Gujarat has shocked the local population, as at this moment 10 people have been confirmed dead and a few injured. The accident took place in Gambhira Bridge, an important link between Padra and the region of Mujpur across the Mahisagar River. The bloodshed occurred early on Wednesday morning when it simply crumpled, plunging into the river below, affecting several vehicles, which include a truck, a van, and a car. There are rescue services that are underway as people put their all into restoring a truck that is stuck in the river and supporting the affected parties.
The Gambhira Bridge is a major transportation route for the transport vehicles moving towards Saurashtra, which was approximately located 25 kilometers near the city of Vadodara. The collapse took place at about 7:30 AM, as officials asserted that commuters were taken unawares. First responders included local residents, who alerted the emergency services and assisted with primary rescue work. The fire brigade teams and police, in conjunction with disaster response teams, promptly reached the area with boats and special equipment to look into the river for survivors and retrieve the bodies.
Rohan Anand, who is in charge of the Superintendent of Police (Rural) in Vadodara, confirmed that 10 bodies have been recovered and 4 individuals have been rescued. People that have been hurt have been transferred to nearby hospitals, where nine patients have been treated. A rescue operation that employs the district officials of Vadodara and Anand is ongoing, as the police are worried that there might still be other victims inside the submerged cars and debris.
The government of Gujarat has been very prompt in helping the victims. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the loss and announced 2 lakh rupees from the Prime Minister National Relief Fund for the kin of the deceased and 50,000 rupees for the injured. He guaranteed complete central government management in the relief projects that were taking place.
What the collapse has done is shown many concerns about the aging infrastructure in the area and whether it is going to be safe. The Gujarat Congress has also blamed the state government over warnings that were not heeded and warned the government that the bridge was in poor condition. A panel of top leaders has been appointed to find out the cause of the collapse, and the report is likely to be out in no time. Unconfirmed accounts indicate that the bridge, which experienced heavy traffic of vehicles, could have been structurally weak.
The heavy currents of the Mahisagar River have been creating difficulties in mounting rescue operations where there is a problem of getting the truck and other vehicles out of the river. Photographs at the site display that emergency workers have used ropes and cranes to keep the wreckage stable.
