A section of the Gambhira-Mujpur bridge in Padra taluka of Gujarat’s Vadodara district collapsed on the morning of July 9, 2025, leading to the death of 11 people and injuries to at least three others. The incident occurred during peak traffic hours when several vehicles were crossing the structure that connects Vadodara and Anand districts across the Mahisagar (Mahi) River.
The collapsed span of the bridge plunged two trucks, a Bolero SUV, and a pickup van into the river below. Emergency services, including the fire brigade and local police, reached the site soon after to begin rescue operations. Locals also joined in the effort, assisting in pulling survivors from the river and submerged vehicles.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing a cracking sound moments before the bridge gave way. One survivor, a truck driver, managed to escape from his vehicle after it fell and waited in the water until being rescued by a boat team. He recalled that multiple vehicles were on the structure at the time of its failure.
Video footage captured in the aftermath showed disturbing scenes, including a woman calling out for help from the river as she pleaded for her trapped child to be rescued from an overturned van. Emergency responders used cranes and boats in an attempt to locate and recover vehicles and bodies from the water. As of the evening of July 9, three individuals had been rescued and were receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.
The Gambhira-Mujpur bridge served as a critical link between Central Gujarat and Saurashtra, heavily used by commuters from cities such as Vadodara, Anand, Bharuch, and Ankleshwar. In the immediate aftermath of the collapse, authorities cordoned off the area and launched an inquiry into the structural failure.
The administration has stated that a technical evaluation and safety audit of similar bridges in the region will be conducted to avoid future incidents. However, the event has also reignited criticism from local residents and civic groups, who allege that repeated warnings about the deteriorating condition of the structure were ignored.
Several residents noted that the bridge had long been identified as a risky passage, with past complaints made about visible damage, tremors when vehicles passed, and its growing association with both traffic accidents and suicides. Local accounts describe how periodic maintenance was either delayed or inadequately executed, despite the bridge’s strategic importance.
A member of the legislative assembly representing the Padra region visited the location shortly after the incident and assured that a detailed investigation would be conducted. Meanwhile, a senior Congress leader posted on social media, highlighting the collapse as a major administrative failure and calling for swift rescue efforts and traffic redirection to avoid further risk to commuters.
A 50-kilometre detour has now been mandated for vehicles that previously relied on the collapsed bridge, affecting goods transport and daily travel in the region. With the monsoon season ongoing, officials have also raised concern about high river currents complicating recovery efforts.
Engineers from the Public Works Department and the Roads and Buildings Department have been deployed to assess the remaining sections of the bridge and surrounding infrastructure. There are also calls from opposition leaders and civil society members for an independent forensic audit to identify the reasons behind the structural failure, whether linked to poor design, erosion, or lack of timely repairs.
The Gujarat State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has joined the rescue mission, coordinating with local agencies to search for any remaining bodies or missing persons. Divers were also deployed to inspect submerged areas, and thermal imaging devices are being used to detect any signs of survivors in the waterlogged vehicles.
While initial reports suggest that a structural crack or foundational weakness may have caused the bridge to collapse, officials have not released a preliminary technical report. The incident has once again drawn attention to the aging condition of several key bridges in Gujarat and the need for systematic inspection and preventive measures.
The bridge collapse, which claimed several lives and left vehicles submerged, highlights the dangers of neglected infrastructure in busy transit routes. A formal statement from the state government is expected after the technical team’s report on the structural failure is submitted.
Image source- thehindu.com
