Bridge Collapses Surge in Bihar: A Chronicle of Structural Failures

Bihar's Saran district witnessed the collapse of another bridge, marking the state's 10th such incident in just over a fortnight. A high-level probe has been ordered to investigate the reasons behind these collapses. Heavy rainfall and desilting work are suspected contributors to the failures.

Another bridge collapsed in Bihar's Saran district on Thursday, marking the 10th such incident in the state in just over a fortnight.

District Magistrate Aman Samir revealed that the latest incident is the third collapse in Saran within 24 hours. 'A high-level probe has been ordered to determine the reasons behind these small bridge collapses,' he said.

No casualties were reported following the collapse of the structure, which was built 15 years ago by local authorities. The small bridge over the Gandaki river, positioned in Baneyapur block, was crucial for connecting several villages in Saran to the neighboring Siwan district.

'The bridge, constructed 15 years ago, collapsed this morning. I am heading to the site, and several district administration officials have already arrived there. Desilting work was recently undertaken, but the exact cause of the collapse is still unknown,' stated the magistrate.

On Wednesday, Saran also saw the collapse of two small bridges, one in the Janta Bazar area and another in the Lahladpur area.

Locals suggest that heavy rainfall over the past few days might have contributed to the collapses. In the last 16 days, ten bridges have collapsed across the districts of Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary has called for a survey of all old bridges in the state to identify those in urgent need of repair. 'The CM instructed officials to prepare their respective maintenance policies for bridges or causeways in the state,' Chaudhary stated. The government has also ordered a probe to identify the reasons behind these collapses and ensure strict action against the guilty.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav claimed that 12 bridges have collapsed in Bihar since June 18. In a post on X, he criticized the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over these incidents and questioned the claims of good governance and a corruption-free government. The latest incident happened a day after Kumar reviewed the maintenance policies of relevant departments.

'The road construction department has already prepared a bridge maintenance policy, and the rural works department should immediately draft its plan,' Kumar stated.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)