AHMEDABAD: 11 people were killed and five others injured early Tuesday morning after the 40-year-old Gambhira Bridge over the Mahisagar River collapsed in Vadodara district, sending four vehicles, including two trucks and a Bolero jeep, plunging into the river below.
The tragedy, which has shocked the region, is now at the centre of public fury as damning evidence emerges pointing to long-standing official awareness of the bridge’s poor condition.
A recorded phone conversation dated August 22, 2022, between Vadodara-based social activist Lakhan Darbar and a Roads & Buildings department officer has gone viral. In the clip, the officer can be heard acknowledging that the bridge was structurally unsound and “would not last long.”
Despite this, no action was taken.
The officer in the call reportedly admitted that a proposal for repairs had been sent, a design inspection team had been called, and the department was concerned the bridge would not last even that year. Yet, the bridge remained untouched until its collapse nearly two years later.
Further underlining the pattern of inaction, a district panchayat member had submitted multiple written requests for urgent repairs, none of which prompted any preventive measures.
In the aftermath, activist Lakhan Darbar has demanded criminal accountability. “An FIR must be filed immediately. The responsible officers should be arrested and jailed,” he said.
The administration, however, appears divided in its response.
While the viral audio clip from three years ago points to prior warnings, Executive Engineer NM Nayakawala, who was present at the site, claimed the bridge had shown no visible signs of damage.
“The Gambhira Bridge was built in 1985 and has a lifespan of 100 years. It was not in a dilapidated condition. Maintenance work was carried out last year, and potholes were filled this year as well. Our inspection report did not indicate any major structural damage. The bridge was not considered unsafe. The exact cause of the collapse will be known only after the detailed report is submitted,” Nayakawala told the media.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel Patel expressed grief over the tragedy and said an order has been given to the state's roads and buildings department to conduct a probe into the collapse and submit a report.
In a post on X, he said teams of the state roads and buildings department and private engineers specialising in bridge construction have been instructed to immediately reach the spot and conduct a preliminary investigation into the causes of the collapse and other technical matters, and submit a report.
"The fire brigade team of the local municipality and Vadodara Municipal Corporation are working with boats and swimmers at the accident site as part of the rescue and relief operations. The NDRF team has also reached the scene and joined the rescue operation," the CM said.
Gujarat minister Rushikesh Patel said the bridge was constructed in 1985, and its maintenance was carried out periodically as and when required. "The exact reason behind the incident will be probed," he said.
Visuals showed the entire slab of the bridge between two piers having collapsed. The slab collapse caused the vehicles, which were passing through it, to plunge into the river.
The conflicting claims have intensified public anger, with the collapse now being seen as a fatal symbol of bureaucratic apathy and ignored warning, an entirely preventable disaster that has now become a national embarrassment.
(With inputs from PTI)