Days after the collapse of a newly constructed bridge in Araria, another bridge collapsed on Saturday in Bihar’s Siwan district. The damage to the 30-year-old bridge caused panic in the nearby areas; however, no one was injured in the accident.
A probe has been launched to investigate the case, an official told Indian Express. Notably, this is the second such incident of the bridge collapse. The first one took place in Bihar’s Araria district on June 18. The 30-year-old bridge connected Ramgarha panchayat’s villages of Darounda block to the main area. Commuters had to face problem in travelling because of the bridge collapse.
Second bridge collapse in a week in Bihar
The bridge was located over a canal and it caved in at around 5 am, District Magistrate Mukul Kumar Gupta, told PTI. The bridge was thirty years old and was built with contributions from the then Maharajganj MLA Uma Shankar Singh.
“Nobody was injured in the incident. It was a very old structure and apparently, pillars caved in when water was released through the canal. We are trying to ensure that until it is restored, residents of affected villages face as little inconvenience as possible,” PTI quoted the DM.
Bihar bridge collapse video
The second bridge collapse incident led to a massive social media outrage. Several social media users raised questions against the Nitish Kumar-led JDU government, and many shared visuals of the bridge collapse online.
Another bridge collapsed in Bihar, this time in the Siwan district.
This is the second incident of a bridge collapse within a week after a newly constructed bridge fell into the river in Bihar’s Araria district.
JDU-BJP has made Bihar a fully corrupt state. pic.twitter.com/kRqODYWgBo
— Sarthak Kashyap (Jasodaben Ka Parivar) (@sarthakkashyap4) June 22, 2024
“Locals claim the bridge was built way back in 1991 with contributions from the then Maharajganj MLA Uma Shankar Singh,” Daraunda BDO Surya Pratap Singh told PTI.
The previous bridge collapse incident sparked a massive political controversy and raised questions about the development works being undertaken in the state. The Rural Works Department has begun an internal inquiry into the matter and has also initiated action against officials concerned with the road project linked with the previous incident.
Araria Bridge collapse in Bihar
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, June 18, a newly constructed bridge over the Bakra River in Pararia village in the Araria district collapsed. The bridge, which connected Araria’s Sikhti and Kursakatta, was washed away before its inauguration. The video of the bridge collapse depicts the bridge falling within seconds and reducing to debris.
Soon after the incident, the Office of Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways of Nitin Gadkari wrote in a post on X, “The bridge that collapsed in Araria, Bihar was not constructed under the Central Road Transport Ministry. Its work was going on under the Rural Development Ministry of the Bihar Government.”
