PATNA: A portion of a bridge caved in Bihar’s Kishanganj district on Wednesday, the fourth such incident in the state in 10 days. Officials said that the 13-year-old bridge was constructed on a tributary of the Maria river near Bansbari Shravan Chowk. The 70-meter-long bridge apparently collapsed under the impact of heavy rain. No one was injured in the incident, the officials said.
A video capturing moments of bridge collapse also went viral on social media. In the video, it can be seen that the middle portion of the bridge is falling and almost touching the fast-flowing river. The state rural works department had constructed the bridge in 2011.
“The bridge, situated in Bahadurganj block, was 70 meters long and 12 meters wide,” district magistrate Tushar Singla said. “The bridge was built in 2011 over Madiya, a small tributary that connects the Kankai river to the Mahananda. Heavy rainfall in the catchment area in Nepal has led to a sudden rise in the water level. One of the pillars of the bridge could not withstand the strong current,” he said.
Sources claimed that poor-quality materials were used in the construction of the bridge which started getting damaged after only six years of its completion and opened for the public.
On June 23, an under-construction small bridge collapsed under Ghorasahan block area in East Champaran district. No casualty was reported in that incident. Similarly, a small bridge collapsed in Siwan district on June 22. It was built over a canal, connecting the villages of Daraunda and Maharajganj blocks.
On June 18, a newly constructed bridge, about 180-metres long, collapsed in Araria district. The bridge was constructed at a cost of Rs 12 crore.
Meanwhile, state government’s rural works department held a review meeting to get status report on the bridges and culverts built in the state. Officials have been given a week’s time to submit the report.
The frequent incidents of bridge collapse in the state invited sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who demanded a fair investigation into the matter and suitable action against those responsible.
‘Poor material used’
Sources claimed that poor-quality materials were used in the construction of the bridge which started getting damaged after only six years of its completion and opened for the public