12 killed as vehicles fall into river after bridge collapses in Gujarat’s Vadodara

A case of accidental death has been registered, and police will begin a probe after rescue operations are over. “We will also seek an inquiry report from the District Collector,” Anand said, adding that the bodies have been taken to Padra Referral Hospital for autopsy.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also directed an inquiry by the Roads and Buildings Department, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the loss of lives “deeply saddening”.

Videos of the bridge collapse show a tanker dangling precariously from the broken bridge. (Express Photo: Bhupendra Rana)

Located in Mujpur, in Padra taluka of the Vadodara district, the one-kilometre bridge connected Mujpur to Gambhira in Anand district, serving as a convenient means of commuting for people seeking to avoid city traffic between Central Gujarat and Saurashtra.

So far, the dead have been identified as family members Ramesh Padhiyar, Vedika Padhiyar and Naitaik Padhiyar from Dariyapura village; Hasmukh Parmar from Majatan; Vakhatsinh Jadav from Kahanva village; and Pravin Jadav from Undel village.

Among the vehicles that fell into the river was an Eeco van. Of the nine passengers, only one survived — Sonal Padhiyar — while her husband, daughter and a two-year-old grandson were among the victims. “We fell in a matter of seconds. Before we could even realise what happened, the vehicle had hit the water and was being pulled into the river,” she recalled.

Sonal, who survived because she was in the rear of the vehicle, which fell head first, said, “It was about an hour after the accident that help arrived. My entire family was underwater for that time. I knew I had lost them…”

Vadodara district fire and emergency team, as well as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), were rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations. (Express Photo: Bhupendra Rana)

Raju Hathiya, a resident of Dwarka who was driving to Ankleshwar, was among those whose vehicles fell into the Mahisagar river. He described the fall as “sudden”.

“There were two people in my vehicle… I am not sure where my helper is. The truck just fell into the water. I came out of my side, and someone eventually pulled me out in a boat,” he said.

Hathiya said there were at least three vehicles around him, apart from a couple of motorcycles, when a portion of the bridge collapsed.

Earlier in the day, Vadodara District Collector Anil Dhameliya told The Indian Express, “While the rescue operation is on, as of now, we know that two trucks, an Eeco van, a pickup van, and an autorickshaw plunged into the river when a portion of the bridge gave way suddenly.”

The Vadodara district fire and emergency team, as well as the NDRF, were rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations. NDRF’s Vadodara 6BN unit said it had dispatched a team to the accident site along with deep water divers to assist in the rescue operation.

“It is not the deepest part of the river, and rescue is being undertaken. There were two motorcycles on the bridge at the time as well, but so far, we have no confirmation whether they also plunged into the river. We are yet to ascertain the identities of the people as we are focusing on the rescue work,” Dhameliya said.

Dhameliya said the bridge had been repaired last year. “The executive engineers of the Road and Bridges Department are on their way to the spot. We will examine the bridge once the rescue work is completed,” he said.