11 killed as bridge collapses

Vadodara,  : At least 11 people, including three from a family, were killed and nine
others were injured after multiple vehicles fell into the Mahisagar River when a 43-
year-old bridge in Gujarat’s Vadodara district collapsed early Wednesday. RohanAnand,
Superintendent of Police, Vadodara, had earlier confirmed that the death toll stood at 11.
Anand said three more people were feared drowned, even as personnel of the National
Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are
scouting the river for survivors The Vadodara SP said a case of accidental death has been
registered, and the police will begin a probe after rescue operations are over. “We will also seek an inquiry report from the district collector,” Anand said, adding that the bodies of the victims have been taken to Padra Referral Hospital for autopsy. Located in Mujpur in Padrataluka of the Vadodara district, the bridge connected Mujpur to Gambhira in Anand district as well as Central Gujarat to Saurashtra. According to officials, Ramesh Padhiyar, VedikaPadhiyar, and NaitaikPadhiyar, a family from
Dariyapura village, and HasmukhParmar from Majatan, as well as VakhatsinhJadav from Kahanva village and PravinJadavfrom Undelvillage, were among those killed in the bridge collapse. RajuHathiya, a resident of Dwarka, who was driving a truck from Dwarka to Ankleshwar, was among those who fell as his vehicle dropped into the Mahisagarriver. Hathiya, who was rushed to the SSG Hospital in Vadodara, said that
the fall was “sudden”. “We were two people in my vehicle… I am not sure where my cleaner is. The truck just fell into the water. I came out from my side, and sat in the vehicle… Later, someone came and pulled me out in a boat.” Hathiya said there were at least three vehicles around him, apart from a couple of motorcycles, when a portion
of the bridge collapsed. Videos and photos of the bridge collapse show a tanker dangling
precariously from the broken bridge even as a woman trapped in the river is heard crying for help for her son, seemingly trapped in the overturned Eeco van in the water.
Earlier in the day, Anil Dhameliya, District Collector, Vadodara, said, “While the rescue operation is on, as of now, we know that two trucks, an Eeco van, a pickup van, and
an auto-rickshaw plunged into the river when a portion of the bridge gave way suddenly.” Vadodara district fire and emergency team, as well as NDRF, were rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations. NDRF’s Vadodara 6BN unit said it had dispatched a team to the accident site along with deep water dives to assist in the rescue
operation.

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