In Gujarat Bridge Collapse tragedy, the death toll from the collapse of the Gambhira bridge over the Mahisagar River in Vadodara district has risen to 18, with three people still missing, according to officials. The incident, which occurred on July 9, has led to ongoing rescue operations that have continued for over 36 hours.
Since Wednesday night, five more bodies have been recovered, adding to the previous toll of 12. A total of five individuals have been rescued and are reported to be in stable condition, said Vadodara District Collector Anil Dhameliya.
Four Engineers Suspended After Preliminary Findings in Gujarat Bridge Collapse
In response to the tragedy, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who also oversees the state’s Roads and Buildings Department, ordered the immediate suspension of four engineers following a preliminary expert report on the bridge’s inspection, repairs, and quality control measures.
The suspended officials include Executive Engineer N.M. Nayakawala, Deputy Executive Engineers U.C. Patel and R.T. Patel, and Assistant Engineer J.V. Shah, according to a government statement.
Ignored Warnings Since 2022
The Indian Express reported that nearly three years before the Gambhira Bridge collapse, officials in Gujarat’s Roads and Buildings (R&B) department had been alerted to structural concerns.
In a letter dated August 4, 2022, Harshadsinh Parmar, a Vadodara District Panchayat member from Mujpur, warned of “unusual vibrations” on the Mujpur-Gambhira bridge and described its condition as dangerous.
“The R&B department did not act on the matter despite our warnings,” Parmar told The Indian Express.
A review of official correspondence shows that the Additional Chitnis (Revenue Officer) to the District Collector had forwarded Parmar’s letter to the then Executive Engineer of the R&B department.
Previous Surface Repairs Did Not Address Core Issues
According to locals, the bridge had been showing signs of distress since 2021, with visible gaps in the surface wide enough to see the river below. Though the department conducted surface repairs and sealed the gaps, the vibrations persisted.
“Since 2022, we’ve noticed such severe vibrations that you’d feel terrified if a heavy vehicle passed,” Parmar said.
His letter, written as a Congress member, had called for structural inspection, public disclosure of findings, and immediate remedial measures.
When contacted after the collapse, the current Executive Engineer, Nainish Nayakawala, claimed that their inspection report had found no major damage.
Structural Red Flags Were Public Knowledge
Eyewitness accounts and residents confirm that signs of an impending collapse were clear. A 2022 structural health report flagged the bridge as unsafe, citing widening gaps between pillars, corroded metal joints, and dangerous vibrations. Yet no major repairs were made. Funds had been allocated, but no work materialized.
Locals Had Raised Alarm on Camera
Amjadbhai, who runs the ‘Padra No Awaaz’ channel in Vadodara, spoke to InFeed, “We made a video standing on that bridge, warning the government that it’s risky. We told them to close it, repair it properly, or rebuild it. That video was posted on July 2. A week later, on the morning of July 09, it finally collapsed. Lives were lost and property destroyed.”
He added, when asked why action wasn’t taken, “This is corruption, plain and simple. When there’s new work, someone gets a cut. That’s why the job wasn’t done. Even villagers warned that the bridge had a steep drop and would collapse if heavy vehicles from outside passed through. Everyone kept saying it.”
Ex-MLA: “We Warned Them for Years”
Another voice from the community, Jaspal Singh, ex-MLA of Padra and current President of the Vadodara District Congress Committee, confirmed the scale and persistence of these warnings:
“For the past 7–8 years, young activists, panchayat members, and village heads were repeatedly warning the authorities. From 2018 to 2022, I personally informed the Roads and Buildings Minister—back then it was Nitin Bhai Patel, the Deputy CM—and even told the then CM Vijay Rupani that this bridge wouldn’t hold.”
He also criticized the delayed response: “If someone falls, they can be saved in 15–30 minutes. But the administration showed up after two hours. Gujarat has elected this government for years, and this is the level of responsibility they show. This isn’t the first time. After Morbi, this is one of about 16 such incidents in the last four years.”
A Pattern, Not an Exception
This tragedy is not isolated. In the past four years alone, Gujarat has seen at least 16 bridge collapses, including the Morbi disaster in 2022 that killed 135 people. The pattern points to a systemic failure in infrastructure oversight and public safety.
Investigations into the Gambhira bridge collapse reveal a hauntingly familiar story: public warnings ignored, internal inspection reports sidelined, and accountability deferred. Despite visible signs of danger, heavy vehicles were allowed, and no safety restrictions were enforced.
Delayed Response
When disaster struck, it was local villagers who began the rescue efforts. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) arrived later. By then, many lives had already been lost.
The delay in rescue and the slow pace of response have triggered intense public anger. More than lives, the tragedy has shattered public trust in governance.
The ruling party in Gujarat, in power for years, now faces scrutiny for its failure to prioritise infrastructure safety and prevent avoidable disasters. Minor patchwork repairs appear to have been done more to deflect criticism than to secure public safety.
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This article is written by our intern Areeba Fatma.
