A devastating incident unfolded in Bihar’s Supaul district as an under-construction bridge collapsed, resulting in one fatality and leaving approximately 30 workers feared trapped under the debris. The bustling construction site near Maricha quickly turned into a scene of chaos and devastation following the collapse, which occurred around 7 am today.
Local authorities and volunteers immediately launched urgent rescue operations to save those trapped under the wreckage. The collapse of the bridge, being built at a cost of ₹984 crore over the river Kosi, has raised serious concerns about the safety standards and oversight in large-scale infrastructure projects.
This tragic event bears striking similarities to a previous bridge collapse in Bihar’s Bhagalpur, where an under-construction four-lane bridge over the river Ganges crumbled, sparking a contentious exchange between the state government and the opposition BJP. The Bhagalpur bridge, with an estimated cost exceeding ₹1,700 crore, was intended to connect Bhagalpur and Khagaria districts but suffered a catastrophic failure, resembling a house of cards collapsing.
The Bhagalpur bridge project, initiated with much fanfare and laid by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in February 2014, was scheduled for completion by 2019. However, the collapse of a section of the bridge raised questions about the construction quality, project management, and safety protocols involved in such critical infrastructure endeavors.
As the rescue efforts intensify in Supaul and investigations commence into the cause of the bridge collapse, concerns about the safety and integrity of infrastructure projects in Bihar and across the nation come to the forefront. The loss of life and the potential scale of the tragedy underscore the urgent need for stringent safety regulations, robust oversight mechanisms, and accountability in the construction and management of vital infrastructure projects.
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