“It Shook Every Time We Crossed”: Gujarat Bridge Collapse Leaves 11 Dead, Many Questions Unanswered

By Special Correspondent
Vadodara, Gujarat 

It was supposed to be another quiet morning by the Mahisagar River. But as the sun rose over the Gambhira bridge—linking Gujarat’s Vadodara and Anand districts—it brought with it the cracking sound of disaster.

Narendra Mali, a local fisherman, wasn’t expecting to witness horror that day. “We heard something—like metal screaming,” he said, still visibly shaken. “Then... the bridge just gave up.” His boat turned rescue vessel within seconds. “We saw vehicles fall like toys. There was no time to think.”

At least 11 people are dead, including two men in their twenties who likely never imagined their final journey would end in murky waters below a 40-year-old bridge. A car. Two trucks. A pickup van. Bikes. Lives. All gone in a matter of seconds.

What’s worse? Locals had warned this would happen.
They always do, don’t they?

Residents had grown used to the trembling under their tires every time they crossed the Gambhira bridge. It wasn’t just unsettling—it was a warning sign that no one with power seemed willing to heed. A new bridge had been proposed, surveys even done, but the old one was kept open, patched over and propped up like an aging relic no one had the heart—or funds—to retire.

“This was avoidable. And that’s the hardest part.”

The state has mobilized quickly—CM Bhupendra Patel announced ₹4 lakh compensation for the deceased's families and ₹50,000 for the injured. Prime Minister Modi called the tragedy “deeply saddening” and added ₹2 lakh more from the PMNRF.

That said, compensation doesn't fix accountability.

Congress leaders were quick to pounce on what they call the “rotting skeleton of the Gujarat Model.” Senior MLA Amit Chavda didn't mince words: “We’ve raised concerns about this bridge for years. Today, we’re counting bodies instead of taking precautions. Who is responsible?”

Meanwhile, officials like Vadodara Collector Anil Dhamelia are focused on the present: rescue operations, body recovery, and vehicle retrieval. “The priority is the living,” he told reporters. But the dead deserve answers too.

What’s really going on here?

Is it corruption? Bureaucratic inertia? Or the all-too-familiar tendency to wait until after disaster strikes to act?

No one is saying it out loud just yet—but the bridge didn’t just collapse from age. It collapsed under the weight of years of neglect, delayed action, and institutional denial.

And the public knows it.

Public Outcry:

• “My uncle stopped using that bridge months ago. Said it felt like driving on cardboard. Now this. Shameful.” – @Rekha_Anand

• “How do you repair a 40-year-old bridge with duct tape and prayers? We need real accountability, not just condolence tweets.” – @RohitP1977

FAQs:

Q1. Was the bridge under repair before the collapse?
Yes, minor repairs were carried out recently, but engineers and local leaders had already recommended building a new bridge. Despite surveys and political backing, the old bridge was left operational.

Q2. Who is being held responsible?
As of now, no official has been named accountable. Investigations are expected, and public pressure is growing for the government to address long-standing infrastructure lapses.

Two days have passed since Gujarat’s Gambhira bridge collapsed. The water still flows beneath it, but above—there’s only silence. No traffic. No second chances. Just grief, and the echo of a warning that came too late.