In a startling incident on Tuesday, a portion of an under-construction bridge in Bihar’s Araria district collapsed into the Bakra River. The concrete bridge, constructed at a cost of Rs 12 crore, disintegrated within seconds, as shown in videos circulating online. The visuals depict the bridge tilting perilously to one side before plunging into the fast-flowing river, while a crowd gathered on the riverbank recorded the dramatic collapse.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported from the incident. The bridge was intended to facilitate commuting between Kursakanta and Sikti in Araria. However, the structure failed before its official inauguration, raising concerns about the quality of its construction.
#Araria Bridge Collapse सिकटी मे करोड़ों की लागत से बकरा नदी के पड़रिया घाट पर बना उद्घाटन से पूर्व ध्वस्त हो गया। सात करोड़ उनासी लाख साठ हजार रुपये की लागत से बना इस पुल का निर्माण पहले बने पुल के एप्रोच कट जाने के बाद कराया गया था। pic.twitter.com/QXv0vutIhM
— Utkarsh Singh (@utkarshs88) June 18, 2024
Sikti MLA Vijay Kumar expressed outrage, attributing the collapse to the negligence of the construction company’s owner. “We demand that the administration should conduct an investigation,” Kumar said.
A video posted on Twitter captures the harrowing moment of the collapse and the subsequent rush for safety. In one segment of the footage, people are seen standing dangerously close to the remaining edge of the bridge, while others are underneath it.
The collapsed portion of the bridge spanned the river, while the sections constructed on the banks remain intact.
This incident follows a similar pattern of bridge failures in Bihar. In March, an under-construction bridge in Supaul collapsed, resulting in one fatality and trapping several others. The construction site near Maricha turned chaotic, prompting swift rescue efforts by local authorities and volunteers. That bridge, which was being built at a cost of ₹984 crore over the Kosi River, also experienced a catastrophic failure.
Moreover, the collapse of another under-construction bridge in Bhagalpur had previously sparked a war of words between the state government and the opposition BJP, highlighting ongoing concerns over infrastructure integrity and governance in Bihar.
The repeated failures of infrastructure projects in the state have intensified calls for rigorous investigations and accountability measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
