Vadodara Bridge Collapse: PM Modi Announces Rs 2 lakh Ex-gratia for Victims' Kin
PM Modi paid condolences to the families of the deceased
New Delhi: At least 13 people, including two siblings, were killed, while nine were rescued after multiple vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar river when a portion of a four-decade-old bridge collapsed in Gujarat's Vadodara district on Wednesday morning.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others condoled the incident. The PMO and the state government announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakhs and Rs 4 lakhs, respectively, to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 as compensation to the injured.
The Prime Minister's office in a post on X said, “The loss of lives due to the collapse of a bridge in Vadodara district, Gujarat, is deeply saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000: PM.”
A slab of the Gambhira bridge, which connects central Gujarat to the Saurashtra region and is located near Padra town, caved in, killing 13 persons, Superintendent of Police (Vadodara rural) Rohan Anand said.
Visuals from the site showed the entire chunk of the slab of the bridge between two piers has collapsed. The slab collapse caused multiple vehicles, including two trucks, two pickup vans and an auto-rickshaw, which were passing through the bridge, to plunge into the river. Five out of nine persons who were rescued were treated at state-run SSG Hospital in Vadodara city, Mr Anand said, adding none of them is in a critical condition.
The Vadodara rural SP said the 10- to 15-meter-long slab of the bridge collapsed at around 7.30 am. The rescue operation, involving fire brigade personnel, local residents, and a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), was still underway at the site till the last report came in, officials said.
According to district collector Anil Dhameliya, the bridge had undergone repairs last year. “The executive engineers of the road and bridges department are on their way to the spot. We will examine the details of the bridge once the rescue work is completed,” he added.
At least half a dozen vehicles -- two trucks, two vans, an auto rickshaw and a two-wheeler -- fell into the river after the bridge collapsed, Mr Dhameliya said.
Two other vehicles that came dangerously close to falling in the river were dragged away to a safer location, the collector said. Three persons on a two-wheeler, which fell into the river, managed to swim to safety, he added.
Hours after a portion of the bridge collapsed, the Vadodara collectorate issued a notification regarding alternative routes that can be used for traffic movement.
According to the police, two out of 13 persons who lost their lives were siblings -- a two-year-old boy and his four-year-old sister. Most of the deceased were residents of Vadodara and Anand districts, and all except a child were male.
Out of five persons undergoing treatment at SSG Hospital, four were men and one was a woman. One of the injured is from Udaipur district in adjoining Rajasthan, police said.
Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel expressed grief over the tragedy and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakhs to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 as compensation to the injured.
Mr Patel called the tragedy "extremely distressing" and said that the state's roads and buildings department has been ordered to conduct a probe into the collapse and submit a report.
In a post on X, the Gujarat CM said the state roads and buildings department and private engineers specialising in bridge construction teams have been instructed to immediately reach the spot and conduct a preliminary investigation into the causes of the collapse and other technical matters and submit a report.
Gujarat minister Rushikesh Patel said the bridge was constructed in 1985, and its maintenance was carried out as and when required. The nearly 900 m long Gambhira bridge has 23 piers and connects the Vadodara and Anand districts of Gujarat.
