Warnings Ignored Since 2022, Declared ‘Unfit’: Gujarat Bridge Collapse Came After Repeated Alerts

Last Updated:July 10, 2025, 10:13 IST

Built in 1986, the bridge connected Mujpur and Gambhira villages and had shown visible signs of wear for years.

Rescuers and locals look used boats to look for survivors after several vehicles fell into the river following the collapse of a portion of a bridge in Mujpur near Vadodara. (AP)

The collapse of the Gambhira Bridge over the Mahi River in Padra taluka on Wednesday, which claimed at least 14 lives, has drawn sharp scrutiny after revelations that the structure was long known to be unsafe. Repeated warnings by local leaders and an engineering report declaring the bridge “unfit for use" were reportedly ignored by authorities.

Built in 1986, the bridge connected Mujpur and Gambhira villages and had shown visible signs of wear for years. CNN-News18 has accessed copies of letters sent to the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department that explicitly highlighted its deteriorating condition. One such letter, dated August 2022, was written by Harshadsinh Parmar, a Vadodara district panchayat member from Mujpur village. He warned the government that continued use of the “dilapidated structure" could lead to disaster.

In the letter, Parmar called for the bridge to be immediately declared unsafe, closed to traffic, and for a new bridge to be commissioned without delay. He also requested a formal site inspection and structural audit, and asked that the resulting report be made public. Notably, Parmar cautioned that the R&B Department would bear full responsibility for any loss of life resulting from inaction.

That warning has now become tragically prescient. Officials confirmed that the bridge had indeed been declared “unfit for use" in a structural assessment report, but no concrete action followed. Local sources said vehicular movement continued unrestricted up until the collapse.

With public outrage mounting, the incident has triggered demands for accountability and intensified calls for a wider audit of old infrastructure across Gujarat. As the recovery operation continues, the spotlight remains on why clear red flags were allowed to go unheeded for years.

Abhro Banerjee

Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ...Read More

Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ...

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Location :

Vadodara, India, India

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