An under-construction bridge collapsed in Motihari (East Champaran).

Patna, June 23, 2024: In yet another instance of infrastructure failure in Bihar, an under-construction 40-ft road bridge collapsed in the early hours of Sunday in East Champaran district.

The third under-construction bridge collapsed in Motihari:

This is the third bridge collapse in the state in the past five days. Earlier, a bridge built over the Bakra river in Araria district—worth Rs 12 crore—collapsed on June 18, just ahead of its inauguration. On June 22, an old bridge also gave way in Siwan.

The latest incident took place around 12:30 am Ghodasahan block of East Champaran. The bridge—sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak  Yojana at a cost of Rs 1,59,25,602—was being built between Amwa village (Ghodasahan) and Chainpur railway station.

The construction was being carried out by Motihari-based Dhiraj Construction Pvt. Ltd. Former Sheohar BJP MP Rama Devi had laid its foundation stone on March 10 this year.

Villagers alleged poor-quality material and faulty alignment.

The bridge collapsed due to irregularities in construction:

“The under-construction bridge collapsed due to irregularities in construction. Low-grade materials were being used, and the alignment was wrong. A high-level probe is needed,” said villager Deepak Kumar Singh.

However, the local engineering team claimed sabotage.

“The bridge has two spans. Casting was completed on one side on Saturday. During the night, dozens of anti-social elements came in vehicles and removed the centering, due to which the bridge collapsed,” said S. N. Mandal, Executive Engineer, PWD Dhaka sub-division.

The administrative authorities have been informed, and a further probe is underway.

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EOM.