Portion of under-construction concrete bridge in Bihar collapses like pack of cards | Watch

PTC Web Desk: A portion of an under-construction concrete bridge over the Bakra River in Araria, Bihar, collapsed on Tuesday. The bridge, built at a cost of Rs 12 crore, came apart in seconds before its inauguration. Visuals captured the moment as the bridge tilted on one side, with a crowd gathered on the banks recording the incident. Fortunately, there are no reports of injuries.

The bridge was intended to improve connectivity between Kursakanta and Sikti in Araria district of Bihar. However, the collapse highlights serious concerns regarding the construction quality and oversight.

#WATCH | Bihar | A portion of a bridge over the Bakra River has collapsed in Araria pic.twitter.com/stjDO2Xkq3

— ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2024

Sikti MLA Vijay Kumar said, “The Araria bridge has collapsed due to negligence by the construction company’s owner. We demand that the administration conduct an investigation.” Videos show the collapsed portion washing away quickly, prompting people to run to safety. Some people were seen standing perilously close to the edge of the remaining bridge, while others stood underneath the intact section on the riverbank.

This incident is not isolated. In March, an under-construction bridge in Bihar’s Supaul district collapsed, resulting in one fatality and several individuals trapped. The bridge, part of a Rs 984 crore project over the river Kosi, also collapsed before completion, causing chaos and necessitating urgent rescue efforts.

These collapses bear resemblance to the incident in Bhagalpur, where another under-construction bridge collapse sparked a heated exchange between the state government and the opposition BJP, further highlighting the critical issue of infrastructure safety and accountability in Bihar.