The North News
New Delhi, July 9
At least nine people were killed and six injured after a 40-year-old bridge collapsed over the Mahisagar River in Gujarat, plunging multiple vehicles into the waters below in the morning. The incident occurred when a 10-15 metre-long slab in the centre of the 40-year-old Gambhira bridge, located in the Bodeli area of Chhota Udaipur district, suddenly caved in. “Two trucks, two pickup vans and an auto-rickshaw fell straight into the river, ” a police officer told reporters. Locals and emergency services rushed to the spot and began rescue operations.
Nine bodies have been recovered from the river so far, with six injured persons referred to the Sir Sayajirao General (SSG) Hospital in Vadodara. Rescue efforts continued late into the night, as divers and disaster response teams combed the area. The narrow, two-lane bridge — reportedly repaired just last year — had been a key connector in the region for both commuters and freight vehicles.
The collapse has raised questions about the quality of repairs and infrastructure oversight in the state, coming just months after another bridge tragedy in the region. Local residents expressed frustration, claiming prior warnings about the bridge’s condition had gone unheeded.
