Bridge under construction collapses for the second time

Dramatic footage has shown the moment an incomplete bridge collapsed for the second time in a year, once again raising questions about its safety.

The Sultanganj Bridge collapsed on Sunday. Picture: Twitter

Dramatic footage shows the moment a four-lane bridge collapsed mid-construction for the second time in just over a year, once again raising questions about its safety.

Videos taken by bystanders showed the 3km bridge crashing into India’s River Ganges on Sunday, sending a plume of debris and dust into the sky and waves rippling across the holy river.

Crowds of people could be seen shouting as the bridge tumbled down. It’s not clear whether anyone was injured.

#Bihar a portion of under construction bridge over Ganga river collapsed today. The Aguanhighat Sultanganj bridge will connect Khagaria and Bhagalpur districts. pic.twitter.com/7DLTQszso7

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) June 4, 2023

The Sultanganj Bridge in the east Indian state of Bihar has collapsed twice since its construction began in 2017 — the first time in April last year before Sunday’s catastrophic failure.

It’s not clear why the bridge collapsed last year or if those problems had been rectified.

On Monday, Bihar’s chief minister Nitish Kumar said he had ordered an inquiry into the incident.

The Canadian design and engineering firm behind the bridge, McElhanney, said on Monday it was aware of the “partial collapse” of the bridge and was “deeply concerned” about the safety and wellbeing of those affected.

The company will “co-operate with any investigation”, it said.

The Sultanganj Bridge collapsed on Sunday. Picture: Twitter

The bridge’s construction was being handled by a separate company, SP Singla Constructions, which has found itself in hot water before.

The company is responsible for a slew of government projects in Bihar, including a six-lane bridge across the River Ganges in Patna, the Sherpur-Dighwara Bridge and the Lohia Path Chakra underpass, according to India Today.

SP Singla Constructions first found itself under the microscope in May 2020, when three children died after being crushed by a concrete slab during the construction of the latter project.

An inquiry into the incident was ordered, but no action was taken against the company, Times of India reported.

It was the second time the bridge had collapsed in just over a year. Picture: Twitter

According to McElhanney, the Sultanganj Bridge was expected to accommodate four lanes of traffic and a footpath, providing “an important new link across the Ganges”.

It was expected to ease congestion on the state’s three existing road bridges, the firm said on its website.

The bridge is not the only one to have collapsed in India in the past year. In October, a suspension bridge gave way in the town of Morbi, killing 135 people.

Police have charged 10 people with homicide in relation to that incident, according to Reuters.