Another Under-Construction Bridge Collapses In Bihar, Third Such Incident In A Week

East Champaran: Bihar appears to be turning into a house of collapsing bridges, as another under-construction bridge collapsed in East Champaran district of Bihar on Sunday, registering a third such incident in the state in less than a week. According to the information, the 16-metre-long bridge was being constructed over a canal in Ghorasahan block in Motihari by the state's Rural Works Department (RWD). After the completion, the bridge, which was being constructed at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore, would have connected the Amwa village to other areas of the block.

As per the local sources, no injuries or casualties were reported during the incident. Earlier, a bridge, which was constructed on a canal in Siwan district, collapsed on Saturday, while another newly constructed bridge got washed away in the river in Araria district.

Probe Has Been Ordered to Ascertain Cause of Collapse

The official sources said that the exact cause of the incident is not known yet and a departmental inquiry has been ordered, ascertain the cause behind the collapse.

Additional Chief Secretary of RWD Dipak Kumar Singh said that strict action will be taken against those found guilty.

Earlier on Saturday, a bridge collapsed in the Darounda area of Siwan. The small bridge, built over a canal, connected the villages of Daraunda and Maharajganj blocks. As per the district administration said that the 100-metre bridge in the Ramgarha panchayat of the Darounda block collapsed from one end. The bridge was constructed around 30 years ago. However, no casualty was reported in the bridge collapse.

As per an official, the brick wall and pillars connecting the bridge to the approach road weakened after the canal was recently dug.

Prior to that, a newly constructed bridge, about 180 metres long, collapsed at Sikti in Araria district on Tuesday. The bridge, made at a cost of Rs 12 crore, had just been completed and was to be inaugurated. The approach roads to the bridge from both sides were yet to be constructed before the bridge collapsed.

In March, a couple of slabs of an under-construction bridge had collapsed in Supaul district of Bihar causing fatal injuries to one labourer and severe injuries to eight others. Last year in the month of June, a 200-metre stretch of the under construction Aguani-Sultanganj bridge over River Ganga washed away after three pillars supporting it collapsed into the river.