Nine killed as vehicles fall into river after bridge collapse in Gujarat

Nine persons were killed and five others rescued after several vehicles fell into a river following the collapse of a portion of a four-decade-old bridge in Gujarat’s Vadodara district on Wednesday morning, police said.

Five vehicles fell into the Mahisagar river after a slab of the Gambhira bridge, located on the river which connects central Gujarat and Saurashtra regions of the State, collapsed, Superintendent of Police (Vadodara rural), Rohan Anand said. Nine people died in the



incident, Anand said. As many as five persons were rescued and were undergoing treatment, Padra police inspector Vijay Charan said.

Gujarat Minister Rushikesh Patel said the bridge was constructed in 1985, and its maintenance was carried out periodically as and when required. “The exact reason behind the incident will be probed,” he said.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has directed technical experts to reach the site and conduct a probe into the reason for the collapse.