Another Under-Construction Bridge Collapses In Bihar, Third-Such Incident In A Week

The 16-metre-long bridge was being built over a canal in Ghorasahan block in Motihari by the state's Rural Works Department to connect Amwa village to other areas of the block. 

An under-construction bridge collapsed in East Champaran district of Bihar on Sunday, in a third such incident reported in less than a week.

The 16-metre-long bridge was being built over a canal in Ghorasahan block in Motihari by the state's Rural Works Department (RWD) to connect Amwa village to other areas of the block. 

The bridge was built at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. No injuries or casualties was reported in the incident. 

Though the exact cause of the incident is yet to be known, a departmental inquiry has been ordered. 

Additional Chief Secretary of RWD Dipak Kumar Singh said that strict action will be taken against those found guilty.

Third Collapse This Week

Earlier on Saturday, a bridge collapsed in the Darounda area of Siwan. The small bridge, built over a canal, connected the villages of Daraunda and Maharajganj blocks.

The Siwan district administration said that the 100-metre bridge in the Ramgarha panchayat of the Darounda block collapsed from one end. The bridge was constructed around 30 years ago. However, no casualty was reported in the bridge collapse.

As per an official, the brick wall and pillars connecting the bridge to the approach road weakened after the canal was recently dug. 

Prior to that, a newly constructed bridge, about 180 metres long, collapsed at Sikti in Araria district on Tuesday.

The bridge, made at a cost of Rs 12 crore, had just been completed and was to be inaugurated. The approach roads to the bridge from both sides were yet to be constructed before the bridge collapsed.

Poor Record Of Bridge Collapse In Bihar

Bihar has been witness to several mishaps involving bridges, large and small, constructed over rivers and other water bodies. 

Earlier in March, one labour was killed and eight injured after three slabs of an under-construction bridge collapsed in Supaul. In June last year, a 200-metre stretch of the upcoming Aguani-Sultanganj bridge over River Ganga caved in after three pillars supporting it collapsed, according to The Indian Express. 

In April 2022, the superstructure of an under-construction bridge in Sultanganj in Bhagalpur collapsed due to strong winds. 

The latest incident was the sixth such incident reported in the last two years in Bihar.