Patna, Mar 22, 2024: One person was killed and several others trapped as an under-construction bridge collapsed in Bihar’s Supaul. The bustling construction site near Maricha turned into a scene of chaos and devastation after the collapse at around 7am today, prompting urgent rescue efforts by local authorities and volunteers.
Authorities fear that 30 workers could still be trapped under the debris.
According to reports, the bridge was being built at a cost of ₹ 984 crore over the river Kosi.
#WATCH | Supaul, Bihar: A part of an under-construction bridge collapsed near Maricha between Bheja-Bakaur. pic.twitter.com/NNVR5aQ5IZ
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2024
The accident bears an uncanny resemblance to the collapse of an under-construction bridge in Bihar’s Bhagalpur, which had sparked a wr of words between the state government and the opposition BJP. The four-lane bridge constructed over the river Ganges had come crashing down like a house of cards.
The bridge was supposed to link Bhagalpur and Khagaria districts.
The under-construction bridge, a portion of which caved in, involved a cost of over ₹ 1,700 crore and was supposed to be completed by 2019. The foundation stone of the structure was laid in February 2014, by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.