The death toll in the Mahisagar river bridge collapse in Gujarat's Vadodara district climbed to 19 on Friday after one of the injured persons succumbed to injuries at a hospital, officials said.
The search for the two missing persons is still underway, they said.
Several vehicles plunged into the river after a segment of the four-decade-old bridge, connecting Anand and Vadodara districts, collapsed near Gambhira village close to Padra town on Wednesday morning.
"Forty five-year-old Narendrasinh Parmar, a resident of Dahevan, who was one of the five injured persons undergoing treatment at the SSG Hospital died on Friday," an official said.
Eighteen bodies were recovered till Thursday night, and the operation resumed on the third day with efforts being made by the teams engaged at the site to trace two more persons, who are missing, Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya said.
On Thursday, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel suspended four engineers of the state's Roads and Buildings Department in connection with the bridge collapse.
State minister Rushikesh Patel visited the site of the tragedy and informed the media that action has been taken on the basis of a preliminary report submitted by a committee set up by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
A high-level probe committee of the state's roads and buildings department will submit a detailed report in 30 days, he said.
Out of the 7,000 bridges in the state that have been surveyed, the government has identified those that need repairs or require construction of a new one. Action is taken on them accordingly, he said after the visit.
"As per the preliminary report of this investigation committee, it has been recorded that the bridge collapsed due to pedestal and articulation crushing. A detailed report will be given by this committee of the Roads and Buildings Department within 30 days," he said.
The investigation report with its technical and administrative reasons will be submitted to the CM and other decisions will be taken on the basis of it, he added.
"The state government placed four roads and buildings department officials under suspension," said Patel who also later visited the injured persons at the SSG Hospital and enquired about their health.
Collector Dhameliya earlier told the media that the primary objective of the ongoing search and rescue operation was to recover a body trapped under a slab in the river, and trace the missing driver of a truck stuck in the water.
A list of eight missing persons was compiled on Thursday, and the bodies of six of them were recovered, he said.
The operation is being carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and other agencies, with locals joining the efforts.
Dhameliya said the rescue teams continue to work amid challenges, including muddy terrain, release of soda ash in water and a tanker filled with a highly corrosive substance.
A tanker that fell into the river was carrying sulphuric acid, and care is being taken to ensure that it does not leak, he said.
There is a presence of soda ash in the water, which is causing irritation and itching for the rescuers, he said.
Earlier in the day, some trucks and two-wheelers were pulled out of water during the operation.
To overcome the problem of mud, a temporary platform has been prepared on the riverbank for the rescue teams by spreading three truckloads of concrete mix, an official release said.
At least six major incidents of bridge collapse have taken place in Gujarat since 2021.
In December 2021, a slab collapsed during the construction of the Mumatpura flyover on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city. Nobody was injured in the incident.
In October 2022, as many as 135 persons were killed when a British-era suspension bridge over the Machchhu river in Morbi town collapsed. Over 200 tourists were present on the bridge at that time.
In June 2023, a newly-built bridge on the Mindhola river in the Tapi district collapsed. No one was hurt in the accident.
In September 2023, four persons were injured after a portion of an old bridge on the Bhogavo river in Surendranagar district collapsed when a 40-ton dumper was navigating it near Wadhwan city.
In October 2023, two persons sitting in an autorickshaw died after six concrete girders or slabs, which were installed on the pillars of an under-construction bridge near the RTO Circle in Palanpur town of Banaskantha, collapsed.
In August 2024, a small bridge on the Bhogavo river connecting Habiyasar village with Chotila town in Surendranagar district collapsed after a sudden rise in water following discharge from an overflowing dam. No casualties were reported in the incident.
