Bridge Collapse in Vadodara Kills 10, Several Rescued

A tragic accident struck Vadodara district on Wednesday morning when a four-decade-old bridge near Padra town suddenly collapsed, killing 10 people and leaving nine others rescued. The bridge, which connected central Gujarat with the Saurashtra region, gave way around 7:30 am, sending multiple vehicles plunging into the Mahisagar river below.

According to Vadodara’s Superintendent of Police, Rohan Anand, five of those rescued were rushed to the government-run SSG Hospital in Vadodara city for treatment. Thankfully, none of the injured are in critical condition.

Eyewitnesses described how a 10-15 meter-long slab of the Gambhira bridge broke off completely, causing two vans, two trucks, an autorickshaw, and a two-wheeler to fall into the river. The three passengers on the two-wheeler managed to swim to safety. A few other vehicles came dangerously close to going over the edge but were pulled back just in time.

Emergency responders from the fire department and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with local volunteers, rushed to the scene to conduct rescue operations. Teams from the Vadodara Municipal Corporation also joined in, using boats and swimmers to assist those stranded.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel took to social media to announce that teams from the state roads and buildings department, along with private bridge experts, have been sent to the site to investigate the cause of the collapse. Patel also announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹4 lakh for the families of the victims.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the loss of life and directed an additional ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families affected by the tragedy.