Gujarat Bridge Collapse: Vehicles Fell Like Dominoes, Residents Say It Was a Tragedy Waiting to Happen
Ahmedabad – A section of the Gambhira Bridge, connecting Gujarat’s Vadodara and Anand districts, collapsed on Monday morning, sending multiple vehicles plunging into the Mahisagar River and leaving at least 11 people dead and several injured.
Local fisherman Narendra Mali, who was working nearby, described the horrifying moment. “We heard a loud noise and saw the bridge giving way. One by one, vehicles — including two trucks, a car, a pick-up van, and motorcycles — fell into the river. We immediately turned our boats towards the scene and tried to rescue those who had fallen in,” he said. Sadly, most of the passengers couldn’t be saved.
Rescue operations are underway with the help of police and disaster response teams. So far, six victims have been identified: Vaidik Padiyar (45), Naitik Padiyar (45), Hasmukh Parmar (32), Ramesh Padiyar (32), Wakhasingh Jadhav (26), and Praveen Jadhav (26).
Bridge Was Structurally Compromised
Built in 1985, the Gambhira Bridge had long shown signs of structural weakness, with locals frequently reporting that it trembled when vehicles passed over it. Despite these concerns, authorities kept the bridge open to traffic. The state government had approved plans for a new bridge following a recommendation by BJP MLA Chaitanyasinh Zala. Though surveys were conducted, no significant restrictions were imposed on the old bridge, which remained in use — a decision now drawing sharp criticism.
Leaders Respond
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, calling the incident “deeply saddening.” He announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh for each deceased victim’s family and ₹50,000 for the injured through the PM National Relief Fund.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel echoed the sentiment, saying the state government stands with the affected families. He announced ₹4 lakh in compensation to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for each injured individual, adding that the state would cover all medical treatment costs.
Vadodara Collector Anil Dhamelia stated that rescue efforts and body recovery are the current priorities. “We’ve diverted traffic and are focusing on clearing the site safely,” he said.
Opposition Slams BJP Over Neglect
The opposition Congress party criticized the state government, calling the bridge collapse a reflection of the “decay and corruption behind the so-called Gujarat Model.” The party accused the government of ignoring repeated warnings and said the tragedy exposes negligence in maintaining infrastructure.
Congress MLA Amit Chavda said, “We’ve raised concerns about this bridge multiple times in the Assembly, but no action was taken. This is not an isolated case — there are many such aging bridges across Gujarat, and the government has failed to act.”
The collapse has now triggered a larger debate over public infrastructure safety and government accountability in the state.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
