Bihar

Bihar faced another infrastructure setback as a bridge under construction since four years in Madhubani district collapsed, marking the fifth such incident in just nine days. The 75-metre-long bridge, costing ₹3 crore ($360,000), was meant to cross the Bhutahi River but gave way due to structural issues worsened by the river swell following heavy rains in Nepal.

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Officials from the Rural Works Department, overseeing the project, revealed that one of the bridge's supports had been swept away days before the collapse, blaming the swollen river and weakened structure.

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Tejashwi Yadav's reaction on 5th bridge collapse

Tejashwi Yadav, the opposition leader in Bihar, was quick to react on social media platform X, criticising the Nitish Kumar government after the fifth bridge collapse in nine days. He shared a video of the collapsed bridge on X and wrote: “This is the 5th bridge to collapse in Bihar within 9 days. A bridge under construction for years on the Bhutahi river between Madhubani-Supaul collapsed. Did you find out? If not, why? Try to find out?”

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This troubling trend of bridge collapses in Bihar has sparked widespread concern over infrastructure safety. Recent incidents include the dramatic collapse of multiple bridges: one over the Bakra River in Araria on June 18, built at a staggering cost of $1,440,000 (₹12 crore ); another, a seasoned bridge over the Gandak River in Siwan on June 22, aged 40-45 years; a bridge under construction in East Champaran on June 23, facing an unexpected setback despite a $ 180,000( ₹1.5 crore) investment; and a quaint bridge over a serene tributary connecting the Kankai and Mahananda rivers in Kishanganj on June 27. 

(With inputs from agencies)