Early on Wednesday morning, July 9, a 40‑year‑old section of the Gambhira Bridge (constructed in 1985) over the Mahisagar River between Mujpur and Gambhira suddenly collapsed during peak rush hour, sending multiple vehicles—trucks, vans, cars, a Bolero, and even a rickshaw—plunging into the river
Casualties & Rescue Operations
As of evening reports, 13 bodies have been recovered and 5–6 individuals injured; rescue operations were ongoing for hours following the collapse Bridge
Earlier counts ranged from 9 to 11 fatalities, with discrepancies due to ongoing recovery efforts
About 5–6 survivors were rescued shortly after the accident
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Cause & Infrastructure Crisis
Heavy rainfall in the region over the past few days likely intensified stress on the aging structure
The bridge had a maintenance history, including repairs last year, yet multiple prior warnings—like a viral 2022 audio of an R&B official admitting “structurally unsound”—were reportedly overlooked
Public activists and the opposition have criticized the state government, calling it a “disaster waiting to happen” and attributing fault to bureaucratic neglect
Official Response & Relief Measures
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed “deep sorrow,” and condolences were extended to families. He announced ex‑gratia relief: ₹200,000 for each deceased and ₹50,000 for each injured from the PM National Relief Fund
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel called for a probe by engineers, while the R&B Department and district collector are conducting technical investigations. A four‑member inquiry team has been formed
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Human Impact
A heartbreaking video shows Sonalben Padhiyar, who survived but lost her husband and young children, pleading:
My children drowned… my husband drowned, please save them
Among the victims were three members of the Padhiyar family, other locals from surrounding villages, and at least two children
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Context & Patterns
This incident reflects a troubling pattern: from Morbi (2022) to other bridge failures in Pune and Mizoram (2025), the country has seen multiple collapses of aging infrastructure
Studies show over 2,100 bridges collapsed between 1977 and 2017, mainly due to natural wear, overloading, and lack of maintenance
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What Happens Next
- Rescue operations and search for missing individuals continue.
- Technical investigation by R&B engineers to determine cause — structure failure due to rain, design flaws, or lack of upkeep
- Potential legal proceedings or FIRs for negligence following viral warnings
- Infrastructure reviews likely accelerated statewide—particularly for bridges built in the 1980s.
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