Another bridge collapses in Bihar, fifth incident in nine days

Another bridge has collapsed in Bihar, making it the fifth such incident to have been reported from the State in nine days.

The latest cave-in has been reported from the Bheja police station area of Madhubani district, situated in the State’s northern extreme, along the borders with Nepal.

Officials were tight-lipped about the incident, though sources in the Rural Works Department, which was entrusted with the construction of the 75-metre-long bridge, confirmed that one of the pillars got washed away a few days ago. They said the bridge was being built at a cost of ₹3 crore over the Bhutahi river that has been in spate following heavy rain in the catchment areas of Nepal.

Sources said the district administration has been asked to investigate the matter and submit its report, while the contractor concerned has been instructed to repair the structure at the earliest.

A video of the collapsed bridge, under construction for more than two years, has gone viral.

Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, shared a video on X, taking an indirect swipe at the Nitish Kumar government. “Another bridge has collapsed in Bihar. Did you get to know? If not, guess why,” he said.

Last week, one incident each of bridge collapse was reported from the Araria, Siwan and East Champaran districts, while a similar incident took place in Kishanganj on Thursday.