Old Bridge Slab Collapses During Repair In Gujarat’s Junagadh District

A section of an old bridge in the Ajaj village, Mangrol taluka in Gujarat’s Junagadh district collapsed during repair work on Tuesday, The Hindu reported. The collapse led to construction debris and eight workers plummeting into the river. No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident. 

Junagadh Collectorate issued a statement on the incident stating “The bridge has not collapsed, instead has been brought down over safety concerns.”

“A slab of the bridge slipped into the waters while it was being removed. No injuries or loss of life has been reported in this incident. The bridge was decided to be brought down after conducting its stability check,” the Junagadh Collector said. 

A video of this incident has gone viral on social media. According to eye witnesses cited by The Hindu, a section of the bridge collapsed while a Hitachi excavator was operating on it. The machine, along with several workers standing on the slab, fell into the river below.  

The incident comes nearly a week after the collapse of the Gambhira bridge on July 9 that claimed 20 lives with one person still missing. The bridge was built in 1980, was a key connection between central Gujarat and the Saurashtra region.

Following the collapse, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday approved Rs. 212 crore for the construction of a new bridge over the Mahi River near Mujpur in Padra taluka. 

The new bridge will be built parallel to the collapsed structure and will connect Padra and Anklav in Vadodara and Anand districts, respectively.