At least twelve people are dead after a crumbling, 40-year-old bridge in Gujarat gave way during Wednesday’s morning rush hour, swallowing several vehicles including heavy trucks.
For years, the bridge had served as a common shortcut for truckers looking to skip highway tolls, putting it under immense strain.
Locals said the bridge’s worsening condition was no secret, with the wear and tear becoming impossible to ignore.
Visible Signs Ignored
Residents had noticed unusual vibrations whenever large vehicles crossed. Davendra Patel, a commuter from Borsad village, said the signs were clear.
“Each time a heavy vehicle crossed, the spans of the bridge visibly shook,” he said. “It was a disaster waiting to happen.”
According to Patel, another nearby bridge shows similar issues. He worries it might be next.
During Wednesday’s collapse, two trucks, an SUV, a pickup van, and an auto-rickshaw plunged into the water. A tanker was left teetering on the broken edge.
Delayed Replacement, Demands Unmet
For months, pleas from nearby villages like Bamangam went unanswered. Locals had long warned that patch-up jobs were failing and the bridge needed to be completely replaced.
In a cruel twist of irony, a state official has now confirmed that a ₹217 crore project for a new bridge was approved last November—but construction had yet to begin.
Government Responds
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has launched an investigation. A technical team, including senior engineers and bridge construction experts, has been sent to the site.
“I have instructed the team to urgently investigate the reasons for the bridge collapse and submit a preliminary report on technical aspects,” Patel said. One of the bridge’s 23 spans had failed, he confirmed.
PM Expresses Condolences
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response to the disaster was both public and financial. On X, he expressed his deep sorrow over the “deeply saddening” collapse, offering sympathies to the families.
He followed this with a concrete step, authorizing ₹2 lakh for each victim’s family from the National Relief Fund and adding a prayer for the injured to “recover soon.”
While rescue operations and technical evaluations continue, questions about aging infrastructure and delayed action remain. For locals, it wasn’t just an accident. It was something they saw coming.
