Bihar bridge collapse: Another one down in Gaya, built over Gulskari River – 14th incident in 4 weeks

Bihar bridge collapse: In the wake of multiple bridge collapses in Bihar, another bridge fell on July 10. A bridge in Gaya, Bihar, collapsed on Monday, July 15, leaving villagers in distress. 

The bridge, built over the Gulskari River, connected Bhagwati village and Sharma village, serving as a vital link for the community. Its collapse has caused significant disruption, especially for students who relied on it to commute to school. The incident has sparked widespread disappointment and concern among the villagers.

14th Bihar Bridge Collapses in Four Weeks

On July 10, the thirteenth bridge collapsed in the state in a span of three weeks. “The bridge collapsed at Mahishi village in Saharsa district earlier,” The Hindu reported, quoting an official.

Bihar Government Suspends 15 Engineers

Following the bridge collapse incidents, the Bihar Government suspended as many as fifteen engineers. These suspensions came in response to reports of recent bridge collapses from various districts across the state. The list of districts where bridge collapses have been reported so far includes Gaya, Saharsa, Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj.

Earlier, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered officials to survey all old bridges in Bihar and identify those that require immediate repair.

In the wake of the bridge collapse in Siwan, the Bihar government suspended 11 engineers from the Water Resources Department and four from the Rural Works Department.

An investigation by the departmental flying squad revealed that during the implementation of the bridge construction work on the Gandak River, reported ANI, citing a state government press release. 

According to the press release, the engineers responsible did not take precautionary measures to ensure safety and proper technical supervision was lacking. The press release further said that in place of the damaged bridges, new bridges will be constructed at the risk and cost of the executive contractor.