Part Of Under-Construction Bridge Collapses In Gujarat. 1 Body Recovered As Rescue Op Underway, Official Says

According to Congress leader Amit Chavda, three people including an auto-rickshaw driver are feared trapped under the debris following the collapse. One person even died due to the collapse.

Screengrab showing the collapsed portion of the bridge

Source : X/@ANI

A portion of an under-construction bridge collapsed in Gujarat's Palanpur on Monday leading to the death of one person. Congress leader Amit Chavda has claimed that three people including an auto-rickshaw driver are feared trapped under the debris. The Collector of Banaskantha-Palanpur, Varun Baranval, told news agency ANI, "The girders on the bridge fell possibly due to a mechanical failure. A team from Gandhinagar are on their way to Palanpur to conduct a technical study on this matter. One body retrieved from under the debris."

#WATCH | "The girders on the bridge fell possibly due to a mechanical failure. A team from Gandhinagar are on their way to Palanpur to conduct a technical study on this matter. One body retrieved from under the debris," says Varun Baranval, Collector Banaskantha-Palanpur.… pic.twitter.com/zx6zNPua5q

— ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2023

The Congress leader took to X to say, "An overbridge collapsed near Palanpur RTO Circle Three persons including a rickshaw driver are feared to be buried in the debris after a part of the overbridge collapsed This is not the bridge, but corruption has developed, now the officers will be changed again, will they be reprimanded?"

પાલનપુર આરટીઓ સર્કલ નજીક ઓવરબ્રિજ ધરાશાઈ થયો

ઓવરબ્રિજનો એક ભાગ તૂટી પડતા રીક્ષા ચાલક સહિત ત્રણ વ્યક્તિ કાટમાળમાં દટાયાની આશંકા

આ બ્રીજ નહી પણ ભ્રષ્ટાચારનો વિકાસ પડ્યો છે, હવે ફરી અધિકારીઓની બદલી કરી હૈયે ટાઢક કરાશે ?#ભ્રષ્ટાચારી_ભાજપ_સરકાર pic.twitter.com/C8ovkGFPCE

— Amit Chavda (@AmitChavdaINC) October 23, 2023

According to ABP Asmita, construction work is ongoing on the said bridge at Palanpur RTO Circle. A few vehicles were also damaged due to the collapse.

The construction began one and a half years back and it was expected to be completed by January 2024, reported ABP Asmita.

Further details on the matter are awaited.

Earlier on October 16, a pillar at an under-construction site of the Mumbai-Goa four-lane highway collapsed in Chiplun. Moments after the pillar's collapse, a portion of the flyover also crumbled while damaging a crane machine that was being used at the construction site. No casualties were reported in the matter, reported news agency PTI. 

VIDEO | A portion of an under-construction bridge, part of the Mumbai-Goa four-lane highway, collapsed in Maharashtra's Chiplun earlier today. (n/1)

(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/5DS8t2eUp0

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 16, 2023

The mishap transpired as the girder, a crucial component of an overbridge under construction, developed numerous cracks while being positioned in its elevated location. In response, the immediate area was sealed off, and police personnel were promptly deployed to the scene.

Around 2:45 p.m., the girder collapsed and plummeted 30 meters to the ground, according to an official statement cited by PTI