9 killed after bridge collapses in Gujarat

Nine people were killed and several vehicles fell into the Mahisagar (Mahi) River after a section of the Gambhira-Mujpur bridge in India's Gujarat collapsed on Wednesday. 

The bridge in the Padra taluka area, which connects the Anand and Vadodara districts, gave way during peak morning traffic hours, resulting in fatalities and injuries to three others, NDTV reports.

According to initial reports, four vehicles, including two trucks, a Bolero SUV, and a pickup van, were crossing the bridge when it suddenly crumbled.

Eyewitnesses said a loud cracking noise was heard moments before the vehicles dropped into the river. Fire brigade teams, local police, and members of the Vadodara district administration rushed to the spot and launched immediate rescue operations.

Locals also joined in, helping to extract the injured from the wreckage. So far, three people have been rescued and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Authorities have cordoned off the area to prevent further accidents and initiated a probe into the cause of the collapse.

Locals allege that the bridge, a key artery linking Central Gujarat to Saurashtra and vital for commuters between Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, and Ankleshwar, had long been neglected by the administration.

Drivers were continuing to search the river for any missing persons, and cranes had been brought in to retrieve the submerged vehicles.

A detailed technical inspection and safety audit of similar structures in the region is expected to follow.