Terrifying moment motorway bridge in India collapses for second time

A video showing the terrifying moment a bridge in India collapsed for the second time in just over a year is circulating on social media.

The four-lane concrete bridge, which is being built across the River Ganges in the east Indian state of Bihar, has once again raised concerns about the quality of its construction.

The video shows 250 metres of the 3km (1.8 mile) Aguwani-Sultanganj Ghat bridge crashing into the river on Sunday (June 4) sending a plume of dust and debit into the sky.

Crowds of people can be seen filming on the river bank as the bridge collapsed. News outlets have been unable to confirm reports of any injuries as of Wednesday (June 7).

Construction on the bridge began in 2017, and it has collapsed twice since then, the first time being in April last year.

Bihar’s chief minister, Nitish Kumar, confirmed he ordered an inquiry into the catastrophic accident on Monday (June 5).

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In a statement released the same day, McElhanney, the Canadian design and engineering company behind the bridge, said it was ‘deeply concerned’ about the safety and well-being of those affected by the incident. The company will ‘cooperate with any investigation’, the company confirmed.

The full statement reads: “McElhanney is aware of the partial collapse of the Aguwani-Sultanganj Ghat bridge over the Ganga River in India. We are deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of all affected by this incident and will cooperate with any investigation related to this incident. While we are unable to comment on the specifics of the incident at this time, we are committed to our core values of safety and care for our communities.”

The bridge was expected to include four lanes of traffic and a footpath. Construction on the bridge was originally scheduled to be completed in 2019, but it faced multiple delays, including the earlier collapse on April 30, 2022 due to strong winds and rain.

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No action has been taken against the construction company and India’s government commissioned a report from the Indian Institutes of Technology to examine any flaws in the structure.

The institute advised that one segment of the bridge should be demolished, but work continued.

Some officials said the second collapsed showed that lessons had not been learnt from the previous collapse.

Bihan’s chief minister, Nitish Kumar, promised ‘strict action’ while speaking about the incident on Monday with reporters.

“It is not being constructed correctly. That is why it is collapsing. It should have been made more strong.”

Last year, a suspension bridge collapsed in the town of Morbi in the western state of Gujarat, plunging hundreds into the Machchhu river and killing 135.