An under-construction small bridge collapsed on Sunday in Bihar's East Champaran district, marking the third such incident in less than a week in the state, making this the sixth instance of a bridge collapse in the last two years in the eastern state. There were no casualties in the collapse that occurred in Ghorasahan block, Motihari. The 16-meter-long bridge, constructed by Bihar's Rural Works Department to connect Amwa village, was built at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. "The exact cause of the incident is not yet known. It is a serious matter and a departmental inquiry has been ordered. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty," Additional Chief Secretary of RWD Dipak Kumar Singh told PTI. Also ReadNewly constructed bridge on Bakra river in Bihar’s Araria collapses before inauguration, video goes viral District Magistrate Saurabh Jorwal said that preliminary reports suggested local objections to certain construction aspects of the bridge, which the police are investigating. Bridge collapses in Bihar in two years Bihar has witnessed a series of bridge collapses recently, raising concerns about the quality of public infrastructure. On Saturday, a small bridge collapsed in Siwan district. The bridge, spanning a canal and connecting villages in Daraunda and Maharajganj blocks, constructed 30 years ago, collapsed. No casualty was reported. A bridge over a canal after it collapsed, in Siwan district, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (PTI Photo) On June 18, a newly constructed 180-meter-long bridge collapsed in Araria district. The bridge, made at a cost of Rs 12 crore by a Central agency, had just been completed. Only approach roads from either side had to be constructed before its inauguration. On March 22, one labourer was killed and eight others injured when three slabs of an under-construction bridge over the Kosi River in Supaul collapsed. The bridge, spanning 10.5 km and valued at over Rs 1,200 crore, is being built between Bakour in Supaul and Bheja in Madhubani. In June 2023, a 200-meter section of the Aguani (Khagaria)-Sultanganj (Bhagalpur) bridge over the River Ganga collapsed after three supporting pillars gave way. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. The 3.1 km-long bridge, estimated at Rs 1,710 crore, is scheduled for completion by November this year, having missed its original 2019 deadline, reports The Indian Express. In April 2022, the superstructure of an under-construction bridge in Sultanganj, Bhagalpur, collapsed due to strong winds.
