The bridge was built across the Burhi Gandak river in Begusarai district at a cost of Rs 13 crore
Patna:
A five-year-old bridge in Bihar broke in half and fell into the river on Sunday, nearly two months after the Morbi bridge tragedy. No one was injured in the latest incident as the bridge has yet to be officially opened to the public due to lack of access.
The bridge was built across the Burhi Gandak River in Begusarai district at a cost 13 billion Rs. “It will be inaugurated soon but it has collapsed before that,” an official said.
People say that the bridge is hardly used because vehicles are not allowed to go on it.
The image shows parts of the broken bridge submerged in the river.
Authorities said there was no one on the bridge at the time of the incident.
The bridge was built under the scheme of the President of the Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
An official said the bridge collapse would affect more than 20,000 people isolated from main roads and towns. “It will affect students, farmers, people who need medical care…”, the official said.
Senior district official Roshan Kushwaha said the bridge was never officially opened but people still use it because it is ready. Over the past three days, the 206-meter-long bridge appeared many cracks.
“The bridge is temporarily closed for use. We are assessing the cause of the bridge collapse… Whether it is a technical fault or something else, we are investigating,” he added.
In October, more than 130 people were killed when a centuries-old suspension bridge collapsed in Morbi, Gujarat. The bridge collapsed just days after reopening to the public after seven months of repairs and renovations.
The defendants in the case include the owner of Oreva, a watchmaker who contracted to repair the bridge with the Gujarat civil authority. Investigations revealed that the structure fractured under the weight of nearly 500 people. The old cables have not been replaced and cannot support the new and heavier floor.
