Video: Outcry As Another Under-Construction Bridge In Bihar Caves In

On June 4, an under-construction bridge, which was supposed to connect Khagaria district with Bhagalpur, had collapsed. The incident claimed the life of a security guard and evoked a huge outcry.

Kishanganj, Bihar: Another under-construction bridge collapsed in Bihar’s  Kishanganj on Saturday, barely three weeks after a bridge over the Ganga river had caved-in in Khagaria district. Reports said a portion of the bridge on the Machhi River collapsed in the middle.

A PTI report quoting National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) project director, Arvind Kumar, said the incident took place around 400 km from state capital Patna when a pillar of the under-construction bridge over the Machhi river collapsed causing the structure to collapse in the middle.

“The under-construction bridge on NH-327E would have linked Kishanganj and Katihar upon completion”, PTI quoted Kumar as saying. The official said that nobody was injured in the accident, adding that an five-member team of experts has been constituted to investigate the cause.

#WATCH | Pillar of an under-construction bridge on Mechi River which connects Katihar and Kishanganj districts in Bihar, caves in near Gori village on NH-327E. pic.twitter.com/VsYAP9xnl7

— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2023

“Prima facie it seems to be an instance of human error during the piling process,” the official said, according to PTI.

The bridge has been built by construction company GR Infraprojects Limited at a budget of Rs 1,546 crore and is part of the Araria-Galgaliya four-lane road on National Highway 327, India Today reported. Quoting locals who called for action against the construction firm, the report said that the third pillar of the bridge had collapsed.

VIDEO | An under-construction bridge over Mechi river, connecting Araria and Kishanganj districts in Bihar, caved in near NH-327E. The bridge is part of a widening project of the NH-327E road. pic.twitter.com/EGKRRdq5j3

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 24, 2023

This is the second such incident reported from Bihar this month evoking concern and outrage from experts and citizens alike who have called for a thorough audit and probe to pin down the cause of these cave-ins.

On June 4, an under-construction bridge, which was supposed to connect Khagaria district with Bhagalpur, had collapsed. The incident claimed the life of a security guard and evoked a huge outcry since despite an initial deadline of November 2019, it remained incomplete.

The Aguwani Sultanganj Ganga bridge, which was being constructed at a cost of Rs 1,717 crore, collapsed, when a 3-feet long portion of the bridge caved and crashed into the Ganga river below. The bridge had also sustained some damage in a storm in April last year.

The shocking collapse was caught on camera and showed parts of the bridge crashing like dominoes.

The Bihar Engineering Services Association had expressed concern and stressed on the need for “structural audit” of all bridges, complete as well as under-construction, in the state.

After the incident, the Bihar government had directed the building construction department to conduct an inquiry into the collapse.

(With PTI inputs)