Bihar: An under-construction bridge collapsed marking the 3rd incident within a week in the state

On Sunday 23^rd of June in the East Champaran district a bridge under construction collapsed. The bridge is located in Ghorasahan block in Motihari, and, fortunately, no fatalities or injuries were reported. It should be mentioned that the incident was the third bridge collapse in Bihar within a week.

The under-construction structure was a 16-meter-long bridge spanning over a canal and at its completion would connect Amwa village to the rest areas in the block. The state's Rural Works Department (RWD) was in charge of the project while the budget was Rs 1.5 crore.

As of present, the local authorities have not determined the exact cause of the collapse, but an investigation is ongoing with district administration officers being on the site to conduct a detailed report. In addition, they will examine the possibility of locals causing the collapse by interfering with the construction of certain pillars.

The Chief Secretary of RWD in his state confirmed that they do not know the cause of the collapse yet. However, they acknowledge the collapse as a serious incident, and they will prosecute those who are responsible.

Overall, the incident was not the first, since it followed the collapse of a smaller bridge in Siwan district the day before, which connected the villages of Daraunda and Maharajganj blocks. These incidents had raised concerns about the quality of constructions that are under the State’s supervision.