Bihar's Newly Constructed Bridge Over Bakra River Collapses Before Inauguration

A newly constructed bridge over the Bakra river in Pararia village of Bihar's Araria district collapsed on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The bridge, built by the state government, had not yet been opened to the public due to pending construction of approach roads. No casualties were reported in the incident.

(Photo credit: Twitter) Bihar's Newly Constructed Bridge Over Bakra River Collapses Before Inauguration

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The bridge connects Kursa Kanta and Sikty areas in Araria district. Amit Ranjan, Superintendent of Police (SP) in Araria, told news agency  PTI that "A portion of a newly constructed bridge over Bakra river has collapsed. Officials have reached there to examine the matter."

Sikti MLA Vijay Kumar blamed the construction company's owner for the incident, stating, "The bridge has collapsed due to negligence by the construction company’s owner. We demand that the administration should conduct an investigation." He told news agency ANI in an interview.

Videos of the collapsed bridge have gone viral on social media, showing the portion of the bridge that washed away within seconds, prompting people to flee to safety. The collapsed portion primarily spanned over the river, while the section constructed on the banks of the Bakra River remains undamaged.

Watch: Built For ₹ 12 Crore, Bridge In Bihar Collapses Before Inauguration https://t.co/Iry6UiyM79 pic.twitter.com/Gyaj5eN1Q0

— NDTV (@ndtv) June 18, 2024

The cause of the collapse is currently unknown. This incident follows a similar one in March, where an under-construction bridge over the Kosi river collapsed in Supaul district, resulting in one fatality and 10 injuries.