Vadodara, July 10: The death toll from the collapse of a bridge in Gujarat’s Vadodara district rose to 15 on Thursday, as rescue workers recovered four more bodies from the Mahisagar river, officials said. Search and recovery efforts are ongoing, with at least three people still missing.
The collapse occurred around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday when a 10 to 15-metre slab of the Gambhira bridge near Padra town gave way, plunging multiple vehicles—including a car, mini-truck and a chemical tanker—into the river below. The bridge was a key connector between central Gujarat and the Saurashtra region.
Authorities said vehicles became submerged in thick riverbed mud, complicating rescue operations. “Rain and a thick layer of mud are making the rescue operation extremely challenging. No machines are working under such conditions,” said Vadodara District Collector Anil Dhameliya, who is overseeing the search.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local firefighters, and divers have been searching the river up to four kilometres downstream. A temporary bridge is being constructed to access vehicles still trapped in the riverbed.
“There are still three persons missing as per our current list, but there may be more unaccounted for,” Dhameliya said, noting that information about the vehicle occupants remains incomplete. Authorities have set up a control room to receive reports of additional missing persons.
Following orders from Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, a high-level technical team from the Roads and Buildings Department arrived early Thursday to begin an investigation. The team includes chief engineers C. Patel and N.K. Patel, and superintendent engineers K.M. Patel, M.B. Desai and N.V. Rathwa.
A chemical-laden tanker near the collapsed section is also being handled with caution to prevent environmental contamination. Officials from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board inspected the site Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, the incident has triggered sharp political criticism. Former Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela called it “the price of 30 years of BJP misrule,” while Congress leaders Amit Chavda and Manish Doshi demanded a judicial probe. Aam Aadmi Party leader Isudan Gadhvi described the collapse as “a man-made disaster.”
In contrast, Road Building Executive Engineer N.M. Naikawala claimed the bridge, built in 1985, was structurally sound and designed to last a century. Locals, however, allege that repeated warnings and pleas for repairs were ignored.
Videos from the scene showed a gaping void between two bridge piers, with damaged vehicles submerged in water. The Collector has issued instructions to demolish the collapsed section if required. Search operations and the technical investigation remain ongoing.
