A Morning That Changed Everything
On the morning of July 9, 2025, around 7:30 AM, a terrible accident happened in Vadodara, Gujarat. The Gambhira Bridge, which crosses the Mahisagar River, suddenly broke apart. This old bridge was a busy road connecting Padra and Mujpur between Anand and Vadodara districts. During the morning rush, a big chunk of the bridge fell into the river, taking six vehicles with it two trucks, two vans, an autorickshaw, and a bike. Sadly, 13 people lost their lives, and nine others were injured. The injured were quickly taken to Vadodara’s SSG Hospital.
People who saw it happen said it was like a bad dream. They heard a loud crack, and then a 15-meter piece of the bridge collapsed. Vehicles fell into the river, and one tanker was left hanging on the broken edge. A mother was heard crying loudly for her child stuck in a van underwater. Nearby villagers jumped in to help, and soon the fire brigade, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) came to rescue people and search the river.
Lives Lost, Families Broken
The collapse took away many lives, leaving families in pain. The Padhiyar family from Dariyapura village lost Ramesh, Vedika, and their little son Naitaik. Sonal Padhiyar, the only one in her family who survived, is in the hospital, heartbroken. Another person, Hasmukh Parmar from Majatan, also died. A truck driver, Raju Hathiya, managed to escape but doesn’t know if his helper made it. “The road just vanished under me,” he said from the hospital. Rescue teams used cranes and boats to help, but one truck is still stuck in the river, making things harder.
The Gambhira Bridge was very important for many people. Farmers, workers, and travelers used it to go between Vadodara, Anand, and places like Saurashtra. Now, with the bridge gone, villages are cut off, and people have to take long routes to get around. In Vadodara, people are lighting candles near the river to pray for those who died. Everyone is sad and angry, wanting to know why this happened.
An Old Bridge Ignored for Too Long
The Gambhira Bridge was built in 1985 and was almost a kilometer long. For years, people in villages like Mujpur said it was falling apart. They saw cracks and felt the bridge shake when trucks passed. A local man, Lakhan Darbar, told officials about the problems years ago. In 2022, he even recorded a call with a government worker who said the bridge wasn’t safe and needed fixing. But nothing happened.
Now, people are blaming the government for not listening. “This wasn’t just an accident—it happened because they didn’t act,” said Darbar. He wants the officials responsible to be punished. The Gujarat Congress party also says the government failed to keep people safe. Just a few months ago, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel approved a Rs 212 crore plan for a new bridge, but it was too late to stop this disaster.
What the Government Is Doing Now
After the collapse, Chief Minister Patel visited the site and promised Rs 4 lakh to the families of those who died and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was abroad, called to check on things and offered Rs 2 lakh for each victim’s family and Rs 50,000 for the injured from a national fund. Patel also started an investigation to find out why the bridge fell. A team of engineers is checking what went wrong, and they think the bridge was too old and not looked after properly.
But people are still upset. Gujarat has seen accidents like this before. In 2022, a bridge in Morbi fell, killing 135 people. Earlier this year, a boat accident in Vadodara’s Harni Lake took 12 children’s lives. These incidents make people question why the government isn’t doing more to keep bridges and other structures safe.
A Bigger Problem for India
This tragedy shows a bigger issue across India. Many bridges built long ago can’t handle today’s heavy traffic or strong rains. The Mahisagar River often floods, which weakens bridges, but the government hasn’t been checking or fixing them enough. Experts say India needs better rules and ways to keep bridges safe.
In Vadodara, people are hurting. “We kept saying the bridge was dangerous,” said Meena Rathod, a shopkeeper who saw the collapse. “They only listened after people died.” As the city mourns, everyone wants answers and changes so this never happens again. The Mahisagar River, once a way to connect people, now carries the sadness of a community and a call for a safer future.
Last Updated on: Thursday, July 10, 2025 1:31 am by Mohammad Hussain Shaik | Published by: Mohammad Hussain Shaik on Thursday, July 10, 2025 12:58 am | News Categories: News, India, Trending