WATCH: Under-Construction Bridge Crumbles in Bihar’s Bhagalpur

Bhagalpur: On Sunday, June 4, a bridge under construction in Bhagalpur, Bihar collapsed, and the incident was captured on camera. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported thus far.

#WATCH | Under construction Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge in Bihar’s Bhagalpur collapses. The moment when bridge collapsed was caught on video by locals. This is the second time the bridge has collapsed. Further details awaited.

(Source: Video shot by locals) pic.twitter.com/a44D2RVQQO

— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2023

The Aguwani Sultanganj Ganga bridge, being built in Khagaria at a cost of over Rs 1,700 crore, suffered a collapse of approximately 3ft of its portion into the Ganges River. This bridge had previously experienced damage due to a storm in April. Notably, a section of the bridge had also collapsed two years ago.

Vijay Kumar Sinha, the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, slammed the Nitish Kumar-led government, attributing the collapse to a culture of seeking commissions and political instability. Sinha expressed his concern over administrative anarchy and corruption prevailing in the state, highlighting the crumbling system amidst discussions on opposition unity.

This recent incident adds to a series of bridge collapses in Bihar. In December 2022, a portion of a bridge across the Burhi Gandak River in Begusarai collapsed due to cracks and resulted in the fall of pillars 2 and 3. Another collapse occurred in November, where a labourer lost his life and another was injured when an under-construction bridge in Nalanda, the hometown of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, gave way. Additionally, bridge collapses were reported in Kishanganj and Saharsa districts prior to their inauguration.

These incidents raise concerns about the quality of infrastructure projects in Bihar and highlight the need for robust oversight and construction practices. Authorities must prioritize ensuring the safety of ongoing and future construction projects to prevent such unfortunate incidents.