A slab on the Vikramshila Setu bridge spanning the Ganga River in Bhagalpur district, Bihar, collapsed on May 4, leading to the closure of the bridge and diversion of traffic via an alternative route.
Authorities have confirmed that no casualties resulted from the incident.
Senior Superintendent of Police Pramod Kumar Yadav stated, “An alternative road via Munger is active right now…there have been no casualties… I want to urge referred medical emergency cases and also commoners to take the alternative road to Patna… Police and administration are alert and are working to restore normalcy…”
The collapse occurred late at night when a 10-inch expansion joint first subsided, followed by a slab near pier number 133 giving way and falling into the river. The bridge is a vital connection between the Purvanchal region and Seemanchal, linking Bhagalpur to 16 districts with a daily traffic volume exceeding 30,000 vehicles.
Following reports of the incident, District Magistrate Naval Kishore Chaudhary, SSP Pramod Kumar Yadav, Sadar SDM Vikas Kumar, City DSP Ajay Kumar Chaudhary, and Traffic DSP Sanjay Kumar arrived at the site. They halted traffic and secured the area, safely evacuating people present at the scene. Both ends of the bridge at Naugachhia and Bhagalpur are currently sealed off.
The police’s prompt action averted a potential major disaster as a long queue of vehicles had formed on the bridge at the time.