Segment of Country’s Longest Under Construction Bridge Collapses in Supaul, Resulting in One Fatality, Nine Injured

Supaul/Patna: In a devastating incident on Friday morning, three girders of a bridge under construction over Kosi river between Bakour in Supaul and Bheja in Madhubani district collapsed, resulting in the loss of a laborer’s life and leaving several others injured. Local reports suggest that more than 10 laborers have been evacuated, with four still trapped under the debris as rescue operations by SDRF and NDRF teams are underway.

The collapse occurred as a part of the bridge plunged into the Kosi river, although no water was present at the site of the incident. NHAI Regional Officer YB Singh said the bridge has 171 piers, and the span between piers 153 and 154 collapsed,

Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, who holds the Road Construction portfolio, said that an inquiry has been ordered and action will be taken against those responsible for the incident.

Leader of Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, condemned the bridge collapse, characterizing it as a recurring phenomenon under the government’s watch. He called for adequate medical treatment for the injured, compensation, and accountability measures against the responsible company and officials.

The bridge, envisaged as the country’s longest, is being constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at a cost of Rs 1200 crore. Originally scheduled for completion by 2023, delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and floods prolonged its construction timeline.

District Magistrate Kaushal Kumar confirmed the collapse of a section of the 10.2-kilometer-long under-construction bridge, with plans for compensation of Rs 1 lakh for the injured and Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. Investigations into the cause of the accident have been initiated by bridge experts AK Srivastava, Mahesh Tandon, and GL Verma, along with NHAI officer Anil Chaudhary.

The tragedy echoes previous bridge mishaps in Bihar, including the collapse of a bridge over the Ganga river in Bhagalpur on June 4, 2023, and the Sultanganj-Aguwani four-lane bridge in Bhagalpur last year.