The bridge that collapsed on river Barak in Manipur
Highlights
- A truck was trying to cross the river when the bridge snapped
- Manipur's other lifeline, National Highway 2, also remained cut-off
- Manipur has been grappling with flood for the past few days
Manipur in the Northeast which is accessible via only two National Highways remained cut-off after a portion of an important bridge snapped over river Barak on National Highway 37, one of the two lifelines of the landlocked state.
The bridge that has become inaccessible now is a new one built adjacent to an old, unused structure called Bailey bridge. A truck was trying to cross the river on the new bridge at 6 am when one of the iron panels that connects the two bridges broke.
After the Central Reserve Police Force checked the old bridge's condition, the engineers allowed only light vehicles to run on Bailey bridge.
While some small passenger buses, taxis and other light vehicles have moved on taking unpaved village roads along the highway, loaded trucks had to turn back.
Manipur's other lifeline, National Highway 2, which passes through Nagaland in the east and ends in Assam, also remained cut-off after a landslide on July 15. A 70-feet-long section of the highway on the Imphal to Dimapur section had caved in.
Now with both highways that connect Manipur with the rest of the country cut-off, transport of essential goods to the landlocked state will be under strain.
At least 200 loaded trucks bound for Manipur's capital Imphal are stranded at Jiribam district near the border with Assam.
Manipur has been grappling with flood for the past few weeks.