A total of nine people were killed and three injured on Wednesday when several vehicles fell into the Mahisagar River after a section of the Gambhira-Mujpur bridge in Padra Taluka of Gujarat’s Vadodara collapsed.
The bridge connects the Anand and Vadodara districts and the incident happened during peak morning traffic hours.
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.
Padra MLA Chaitanyasinh Zala visited the site shortly after the incident.
Authorities have cordoned off the area to prevent further accidents and initiated a probe into the cause of the collapse.
Senior Congress leader Amit Chavda posted on social media, “The main Gambhira bridge connecting Anand and Vadodara districts has collapsed. Many vehicles have fallen into the river, and major casualties are feared. The administration must immediately carry out rescue operations and arrange alternate routes for traffic.”
Divers were continuing to search the river for any missing persons, and cranes had been brought in to retrieve the submerged vehicles.
