Gujarat Bridge Tragedy: 9 Lives Lost, CM Bhupendra Patel Announces Compensation for Victims' Families

Gandhinagar (The Uttam Hindu): So far 9 people have died due to the collapse of a bridge in Padra taluka of Vadodara district of Gujarat. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed grief over the incident and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday wrote on social media platform X, "The accident caused by the collapse of one of the 23 girders of the Gambhira bridge connecting Anand and Vadodara is sad. I pray for the peace of the souls of those killed in this accident. I have spoken to the Vadodara collector and have given instructions to make arrangements on priority basis for immediate treatment of the injured."

CM Patel said in the statement, "The fire brigade team of the local municipality and Vadodara Municipal Corporation is engaged in rescue and relief operations at the accident site with boats and swimmers. Also, the NDRF team has reached the spot and is engaged in rescue operations. The Road Construction Department has been ordered to investigate this accident immediately. Chief Engineer (Design), Chief Engineer (South Gujarat), and a team of two private engineers specializing in bridge construction have been instructed to immediately reach the spot and conduct a preliminary investigation into the causes of the bridge collapse and other technical aspects and submit a report."

The Chief Minister of Gujarat also announced compensation. He said, “The accident caused by the collapse of a part of the Gambhira bridge connecting Anand and Vadodara is extremely sad. The state government stands with full sympathy with every family affected by this accident. The state government will provide assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the family of each person who lost his life in the accident. Apart from this, every person injured in the accident will be given assistance of Rs 50 thousand and all arrangements for treatment will also be made by the state government.”

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi expressed grief over the bridge accident. Speaking to the media, he said, "9 people have died in the tragic accident on the bridge connecting Vadodara and Anand districts. 6 others have been rescued. The Chief Minister has sent a high-level committee to the spot and sought a detailed report. He has also given instructions to take strict action in the matter."

Let us tell you that on Wednesday morning, a part of a bridge connecting Anand and Padra suddenly collapsed. As soon as the bridge collapsed, many vehicles fell into the river. 9 people have lost their lives in this accident.

This bridge was built in 1985. The Gujarat government recently approved the construction of a new bridge at a cost of Rs 212 crore.