Gujarat bridge collapse: 'Sulphuric acid' danger looms over rescue workers; death toll climbs to 18
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Gujarat bridge collapse: 'Sulphuric acid' danger looms over rescue workers; death toll climbs to 18")
Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya said the rescue and recovery operation is underway. Photograph: (ANI)
A section of the Gambhira bridge connecting Vadodara and Anand collapsed on July 9 and fell into the Mahisagar river.
The death toll in the Gambhira bridge collapse incident in Gujarat's Vadodara has climbed to 18, officials said on Friday, after more bodies were found in the water. Two people are still missing. Meanwhile, rescue and relief workers who are searching for the missing people and clearing debris face the risk of exposure to sulphuric acid because one of the submerged vehicles had been carrying the chemical.
A section of the Gambhira bridge connecting Vadodara and Anand collapsed on July 9 and fell into the Mahisagar river. Five people are undergoing treatment in the hospital and are stable.
Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya said the rescue and recovery operation is underway. On Thursday, rescue workers found six bodies.
"The remaining dead bodies are trapped under a slab, and efforts are underway to recover them. The driver of the truck, which is trapped, is also missing; we are trying to find his body. In the middle of the river, there is a 3-4 metre layer of quicksand," he said, elaborating on the challenges the rescue workers have been facing.
He said a tanker carrying sulphuric acid was trapped in the water, which could pose a risk to the workers.
“Soda ash is being released into the water, which is causing irritation and itching to the rescue team…Our team is working after neutralising it. A tanker of sulphuric acid is trapped inside, so we are making sure it does not get released. The basic objective of today's operation is to retrieve the dead bodies and remove the debris…The death toll stands at 18, and 2 people are still missing,” he stated.
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The Gujarat government has ordered a probe into the collapse of the bridge, which connects Anand and Vadodara. Four officers have been suspended. They are: NM Naikwala (Executive Engineer), UC Patel (Deputy Executive Engineer), RT Patel (Deputy Executive Engineer), and JV Shah (Assistant Engineer).