Bihar has seen yet another bridge collapse, the fifth such incident to be reported from the state in less than a week. The recent incident has been reported from the Bheja police station area of Madhubani district, located close to the state’s northernmost border with Nepal. Officials declined to comment on the incident, but sources in the Rural Works Department, which was in charge of building the 75-meter-long bridge, confirmed that one of the pillars washed away a few days ago. According to them, the construction of the bridge, which will span the Bhutahi River, which has been inundated due to heavy rainfall in Nepal’s catchment areas, will cost roughly Rs 3 crore.
According to sources, the district administration has been asked to investigate the matter and submit a report, while the contractor has been instructed to repair the structure as soon as possible. A video of the collapsed bridge, which had been under construction for over two years is going viral.
Under Construction Bridge Collapsed In Bihar’s Madhubani.
“5th Bridge” collapsed within 10-11 days.pic.twitter.com/VcQNiSqFdS
— Gems of Engineering (@gemsofbabus_) June 28, 2024
Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav shared the video on X, taking an indirect swipe at the Nitish Kumar government. “This is the 5th bridge to collapse in Bihar within 9 days. A bridge under construction for years on the Bhootahi river between Madhubani-Supaul collapsed. Did you find out? If not, why? Try to find out?”
Last week, one incident of bridge collapse was reported from the Araria, Siwan, and East Champaran districts, and a similar mishap occurred in Kishanganj on Thursday.