An under-construction bridge in Bhagalpur, Bihar, collapsed on June 4, with the dramatic incident captured on camera. The footage shows two sections of the bridge crumbling consecutively. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported thus far. The Aguwani Sultanganj Ganga bridge, being built in Khagaria, Bihar, at a cost of Rs 1,717 crore, suffered this catastrophic collapse.
The collapse occurred around 6 pm on Sunday, prompting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to order an investigation into the incident and demand accountability from those responsible. The ‘Pul Nirman Nigam’ has been requested to submit a report.
According to reports, approximately 3ft of the bridge’s structure fell into the Ganges river below. The bridge had already experienced some damage due to a previous storm in April.
Notably, this is not the first time the bridge has faced such a setback. Two years ago, a portion of the bridge collapsed as well.
BJP Criticizes Nitish Kumar Over Bridge Collapse
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticized Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the bridge collapse. BJP leader Amit Malviya questioned whether Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav would resign from their respective positions as CM and Deputy CM.
“In 2015, Nitish Kumar inaugurated this bridge, which was supposed to be completed by 2020. This is the second time the bridge has collapsed. Will Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav resign immediately, taking responsibility for this incident? By doing so, both the uncle and nephew can set an example for the country,” he tweeted.
Reacting to the bridge collapse, Bihar’s Leader of Opposition (LoP), Vijay Kumar Sinha, criticized the Nitish Kumar-led government, stating, “There’s a tradition of seeking commissions. It is a consequence of his mentality of political instability that there’s administrative anarchy and corruption. The system is collapsing, but they are talking about opposition unity.”
Previous Bridge Collapses in Bihar
This incident follows the collapse of a portion of a bridge over the Burhi Gandak river in Begusarai, Bihar, in December 2022. The bridge had developed cracks, leading to the collapse of pillars 2 and 3.
In November of the same year, a laborer died and another was injured when an under-construction bridge collapsed in Nalanda district, under CM Nitish Kumar’s jurisdiction. Similar incidents occurred in Kishanganj and Saharsa districts, where under-construction bridges collapsed prior to their inauguration.
