NEW DELHI: A woman died after an old iron bridge collapsed on Tuesday morning in north Delhi’s Roop Nagar area. The victim’s body was recovered from the drain beneath the bridge.
According to the police, a PCR call was received on Tuesday at 9.28 am regarding the collapse of an iron bridge near Block 3, Roop Nagar. After receiving the information, police rushed to the spot and initiated necessary action.
Local residents identified the victim as a female beggar who used to sit at one end of the bridge. Efforts are being made to establish the identity of the deceased, a senior police officer said.
The fire brigade, National Disaster Response Force and other agencies concerned were informed. Search and rescue operations were carried out, the officer said. The area has been fully cordoned off to prevent any further incidents and to ensure smooth handling of the situation.
Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh expressed deep concern over the incident and said that the government is closely monitoring the situation. “This is a very unfortunate incident. Our focus is on ensuring that such incidents are prevented in the future,” he said.
Preliminary assessment suggests that the collapse may have occurred due to structural deterioration of the old bridge. However, a detailed investigation will be carried out to ascertain the exact cause, he asserted. He ordered the formation of a three-member committee to investigate the incident and submit a detailed report within 48 hours.
“Responsibility will be fixed based on the findings, and necessary action will follow,” Singh stated.
The bridge belonged to the irrigation and flood control department. It was constructed approximately 33 years ago and had significantly deteriorated over time. It was inspected earlier this year in March 2025 and was found to be structurally unsafe. Acting on this assessment, authorities had closed the bridge for public use in July 2025 and put in place necessary restrictions. Police barricades were placed on either side of the bridge.
However, despite these measures, it was reportedly still being used by some people.
Sanju, a house help who had just crossed the bridge moments before the collapse, recounted the incident, stating that the moment she crossed the bridge, it collapsed, and the victim did not have time to escape. “I came for work around 9 am in the morning.
When I was crossing the bridge, two cows were ahead of me, and a woman was sitting there. The moment I crossed the bridge, it collapsed. I heard someone asking to move fast as the bridge was about to collapse. Unfortunately, the woman did not get time to escape,” Sanju said.
She further stated that the bridge was in a dilapidated condition. People felt a sense of fear while crossing it, even though the bridge did not visibly shake. Police had placed barricades on both ends of the bridge to restrict or control movement. Despite the concerns about its condition, many motorcyclists continued to use the bridge frequently.
Hemant, a local resident, stated that he heard a loud crashing sound at the time of the incident. He mentioned that although the bridge was blocked, many people still chose to cross it regularly, ignoring safety warnings.