Vadodara Bridge Collapses Raising Alarm Over 43 Year Old Infrastructure
Vadodara witnessed a tragic infrastructural collapse on Wednesday morning as a 43-year-old bridge gave way suddenly, plunging multiple vehicles into the Mahisagar River. The structure, which connected Mujpur to Gambhira and served as a vital commuting route, crumbled without warning — highlighting deep-rooted issues in public infrastructure maintenance.
At least 12 people were killed and nine others injured when vehicles, including trucks, a van, a pickup, and an autorickshaw, fell into the river. Among them was a survivor from a van carrying her entire family — the only one to make it out alive. She recalled the horrifying fall and how the vehicle was underwater before anyone could react. Rescue help, she said, arrived nearly an hour later.
Visuals from the site showed a tanker hanging dangerously from the edge of the shattered bridge, now symbolic of the structural rot that often goes unnoticed until disaster strikes. The collapse disrupted connectivity between regions and sparked a large-scale rescue operation by the National Disaster Response Force and emergency teams.
Officials confirmed the bridge had undergone repairs just last year — a detail that now raises serious questions about the quality and integrity of those efforts. Authorities have launched an investigation and demanded an inquiry from the Roads and Buildings Department. A case of accidental death has been registered.
This wasn’t a freak act of nature — it was a catastrophic failure of oversight. The collapse of a decades-old bridge, despite recent repairs, is a stark reminder that until accountability and engineering standards are strictly enforced, such tragedies remain only a matter of time.
