Seventh bridge collapses in Bihar in 15 days

NEW DELHI: A bridge over the Gandaki river in Siwan district, Bihar, collapsed on Wednesday morning, marking the seventh such incident in the state within the past 15 days. The bridge, located in Deoria block, connects several villages with Mahrajganj. No casualties have been reported. This is the second bridge collapse in Siwan within the last 11 days.
Deputy Development Commissioner Mukesh Kumar stated that the exact cause of the collapse is under investigation.Senior officials have reached the site to assess the situation.
"A portion of a bridge in Deoria block collapsed this morning. The exact cause is not known so far. Senior officials of the block have reached the spot and I am also going there," he said.
"The incident took place around 5 am. As per initial information, the bridge was constructed in 1982-83. Repair work was going on the bridge for the last few days," Kumar added.
Villagers suggested that heavy rainfall over the preceding days may have contributed to the collapse, with a surge in the Gandaki river potentially weakening the bridge's structure.
This incident follows another bridge collapse in Siwan just 11 days ago, underscoring growing concerns over the state of infrastructure in Bihar. On June 22, a portion of a bridge collapsed in the Darounda area.
Similar incidents have recently been reported in districts like Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj. These incidents have prompted the Bihar government to set up a high-level committee to investigate and address these occurrences.