Photo Credit: The Suncity News:
Patna, March 22, 2024: A section of an under-construction bridge over the Kosi River collapsed in Bihar’s Supaul district on Friday morning, killing one person and injuring at least nine others, officials confirmed.
The mishap occurred around 7.30 am, sending shockwaves through the region.
Supaul DM confirmed the bridge collapse:
According to Kaushal Kumar, district magistrate of Supaul, the injured have been admitted to Sadar Hospital for treatment, while rescue operations are ongoing.
“Some more labourers may still be trapped under the debris,” the DM said, adding that efforts are being made to carefully remove the wreckage.
Sources reported that nearly 40 labourers were present at the site when the structure gave way.
The collapsed structure is part of a 10.2-km-long bridge being built to connect Madhubani and Supaul districts across the Kosi River.
The project is under the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and has been contracted to Gammon India and TransRail Lighting Ltd.
The pattern of bridge collapses raised concerns:
The incident adds to a growing list of recent bridge collapses in Bihar, sparking sharp criticism of the Nitish Kumar government.
Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed the state government for what he described as negligence in ensuring construction safety, citing multiple similar mishaps in the past few months.
The authorities have not yet issued an official statement on whether poor construction quality or technical flaws were responsible for the disaster.
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EOM.