Vadodara (Gujarat): The death toll from the catastrophic collapse of the Gambhira Bridge in Vadodara district rose to 15, with four more bodies recovered overnight, officials confirmed. The disaster, which occurred early Wednesday (July 9) when a 10-15 meter slab of the 40-year-old bridge gave way, sent vehicles plummeting into the churning waters of the Mahisagar River, leaving a community in shock and sparking a fierce political storm.
The collapse, which happened around 7:30 a.m. near Padra town—a vital link between central Gujarat and Saurashtra—turned a routine morning commute into a nightmare. Eyewitnesses described a deafening “explosion-like sound” and violent vibrations, mistaking it for an earthquake. Anwarbhai, a van driver, barely escaped as his vehicle rolled backward, leaping to safety as the structure crumbled behind him. Sonalben Padhiyar, the sole survivor of her family, watched in horror as their car plunged headfirst into the river, her desperate cries for her son captured in a viral video that has fueled public outrage.
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Rescue operations, now in their second day, have become a race against time and nature. At dawn, a joint team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local firefighters, and divers braved swift currents and a thick layer of mud to search up to 4 kilometers downstream. Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya, overseeing the efforts, revealed that three people remain missing, with the murky river concealing the fates of a car and mini-truck’s occupants, stuck three meters deep in sludge. “Rain and mud are making this a Herculean task—machines are failing, so we’re building a special bridge to reach the submerged vehicles,” he told reporters, his voice heavy with the weight of the challenge.
The scene is haunting: a chemical-laden tanker teeters precariously near the collapse site, prompting Gujarat Pollution Control Board officials to assess environmental risks this morning. Authorities are prioritizing its safe removal to avert a secondary disaster. Meanwhile, a high-level technical team from the Roads and Buildings Department, led by Chief Engineers C. Patel and N.K. Patel, arrived on orders from Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to probe the cause, with demolition of the ruined section under consideration.
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Survivors’ tales paint a picture of chaos and neglect. Dilipsinh Padhiyar, flung into the river on his two-wheeler, clung to a metal rod until fishermen rescued him, while locals like Jairaj Singh rallied with ropes to pull vehicles from the water. Yet, their efforts underscore a bitter truth: residents had long warned of the bridge’s dilapidated state, with potholes and exposed rods ignored despite repeated complaints since 2017. Abhesinh Parmar, a local council chief, called it a “man-made disaster,” a sentiment echoed by survivors who felt the ground shake under heavy traffic.
The political fallout is explosive. Opposition leaders have seized the moment, with former CM Shankersinh Vaghela branding it “the price of BJP’s 30-year misrule.” Congress’s Amit Chavda and Manish Doshi demand a judicial probe, while AAP’s Isudan Gadhvi joins the chorus of condemnation. Gujarat’s government, however, insists the bridge—built in 1985—was regularly maintained, with a ₹217 crore replacement project in the tendering stage. Road Building Executive Engineer N.M. Naikawala’s claim of a “century-long lifespan with no defects” clashes starkly with locals’ cries of neglect, fueling a narrative of corruption versus competence.
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As Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Gujarat native, offered ₹2 lakh ex-gratia per deceased family and ₹50,000 for the injured, the tragedy echoes the 2022 Morbi suspension bridge collapse that killed 135. With 15 lives lost and questions unanswered, India’s aging infrastructure stands accused once more—will this be the wake-up call for change, or another forgotten plea in a crumbling system?
