Search operation resumes at Gujarat bridge tragedy site, two still missing

The search-and-rescue operation resumed in the Mahisagar river on Friday morning on the third day, as two persons are still missing following the Gambhira bridge tragedy in Gujarat’s Vadodara district, officials 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.

The operation resumed on the third day of the Gambhira bridge tragedy, with 18 bodies recovered by Thursday night. Efforts are still underway to trace two more persons, who are missing, Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya said.

“The primary objective of our operation today is to recover a body trapped under a slab in the river, and the missing driver of a truck stuck in the water,” he told mediapersons.

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 that 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 made 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. Attempts are being made to neutralise it, the official said.

Dhameliya said the mud in the river and on its banks has also complicated the rescue operation.

Since some vehicles, including a loaded truck, are still stuck in the muddy waters of the river, the district administration had used a ‘high-performance truck’ of the Indian Army to pull them out, a government release said earlier.

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, said the release.

On Thursday, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel suspended four engineers of the state’s roads and buildings department in connection with the bridge collapse.

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. Luckily, no one 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, when over 200 tourists were on it.

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.