Patna: Bihar saw its fourth instance of bridge collapse in a week, with a bridge caving in at Kishanganj district. The 70-meter bridge on a tributary of the Kankai river, connected Bahadurganj and Dighalbank blocks and its collapse has affected the connectivity between the two towns. No one was injured in the incident.
Officials said the water level of the river had gone up and several pillars in the middle of the bridge sunk about one-and-a-half-feet due to the strong current.
Cellphone videos from the spot, which were widely circulated on social media, showed the middle part of the bridge sagging and almost touching the fast-flowing river, raising concerns that it might disintegrate any time.
On receiving information about the incident, Bahadurganj police station chief Abhinav Parasar reached the spot with his team and immediately barricaded the area at both ends, stopping vehicle movement.
Locals said the bridge was built about six years ago.
The Road Department has also reached the spot and are investigating the matter.
District Magistrate Tushar Singla said the bridge was built in 2011 over Madiya, a small tributary that connects the Kankai river to the Mahananda. "Heavy rainfall in the catchment area in Nepal has led to a sudden rise in the water level. One of the pillars of the bridge could not withstand the strong current," he was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.
Three incidents of bridge collapse were reported last week from Siwan and Araria districts.
On June 19, a portion of an under-construction bridge over the Bakra river in Bihar's Araria district, collapsed even before it was inaugurated. The bridge, built at a cost of Rs 12 crore, came apart in seconds. Horrifying videos from the spot showed the huge chunks of concrete being washed away.
Over the last few years, a number of similar incidents have taken place in various parts of the state, leading to questions about the quality of public works in the state.