Tragedy Strikes as Part of Gujarat Bridge Gives Way: 11 Lives Lost in Sudden Plunge

Eleven persons, including two siblings, died and nine others were rescued after multiple vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar river when a section of a four-decade-old bridge collapsed in Gujarat's Vadodara district on Wednesday morning, officials said.

- MPOST BUREAU

A slab of the Gambhira bridge, which connects central Gujarat to the Saurashtra region of the state, collapsed, killing eleven persons, Superintendent of Police (Vadodara rural) Rohan Anand said.

Visuals from the site showed the entire chunk of the slab of the bridge between two piers has collapsed. The slab collapse caused the vehicles, which were passing through the bridge, to plunge into the river. The bridge is located near Padra town in the district.

Five out of the nine rescued persons suffered injuries and were undergoing treatment at the SSG Hospital in Vadodara, he said, adding that none of the injured persons are in a critical condition.

The SP said that a 10 to 15 metres long slab of the bridge came crashing down at around 7.30 am.

Five vehicles - two trucks, two vans and an autorickshaw - fell into the river after the portion of the bridge collapsed, Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya said. Two other vehicles that came dangerously close to falling into the river below were dragged away to a safer location, the collector said.

According to the police, two out of the 11 persons who lost their lives were siblings -- a two-year-old boy and his four-year-old sister. Most of the deceased were residents of Vadodara and Anand districts, and all except a child were male.