Bridge Collapse in Bihar Spurs Urgent Review of State Infrastructure

A small bridge in Raghopur block of Bihar's Vaishali district collapsed with no casualties. The bridge, built 20 years ago with MLA funds, had been closed since 2021. This incident follows numerous other bridge collapses in Bihar, prompting CM Nitish Kumar to order an urgent survey and repairs of old bridges.

In Raghopur block of Bihar's Vaishali district, another small bridge has collapsed, authorities confirmed on Sunday. No casualties were reported following the collapse in Paharpur village on Saturday.

According to officials, the collapsed bridge was 20 years old and had already been closed to the public since 2021. Originally constructed with assistance from an MLA local area development fund, the bridge suffered damage from flooding in 2021 and finally gave way.

This latest incident follows a worrying pattern of infrastructure failures in Bihar, with over a dozen bridges and causeways collapsing across various districts recently. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has responded by instructing officials to conduct a comprehensive survey of all old bridges in the state and prioritize those needing immediate repairs. He has also mandated the creation of maintenance policies for bridge and causeway infrastructure.

(With inputs from agencies.)