Gujarat bridge collapse: Toll rises to 17 in Vadodara

The death toll from the Gambhira Bridge collapse over the Mahisagar River in Vadodara district, Gujarat, has climbed to 17, with three individuals unaccounted for, according to officials familiar with the situation.

On Thursday, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel suspended four engineers from the state’s roads and buildings department. Since Wednesday night, five additional bodies have been retrieved, raising the official toll from 12, with rescue efforts continuing for over 36 hours following the incident.

“We have recovered 17 bodies so far. According to our list, three other people are missing. Five persons have been rescued, and their condition is stable,” Vadodara district collector Anil Dhameliya said.

According to a government statement, CM Patel, who oversees the roads and buildings department, requested a report from experts regarding the repairs, inspections, and quality assessments performed on the bridge, which led to the decision to suspend the four engineers based on this report.

The individuals suspended immediately include executive engineer N M Nayakawala, deputy executive engineers U C Patel and R T Patel, and assistant engineer J V Shah, as stated in the release. The incident occurred at approximately 7:30 am on Wednesday when a section of the Gambhira Bridge collapsed at Padra, causing two lorries, an SUV, a pickup van, and an auto-rickshaw to plunge into the Mahisagar River.

Constructed in 1985, the bridge linking Anand and Vadodara districts has seen a growing number of heavy trucks attempting to sidestep tolls on the six-lane Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway—a detour that, according to locals, reduced their travel by 30-35 kilometres.

Rescue efforts have been taking place close to Mujpur village in Padra, with teams engaged in finding the missing individuals and recovering bodies from the rubble.

A truck loaded with ceramic tiles, ensnared in deep mud in the Mahisagar riverbed, became a central aspect of the search as it was believed to have trapped victims or provided hints about the missing individuals. Floodlights illuminated the scene late into the night, and steel cables linked to an excavator righted the truck, resulting in the recovery of three bodies, according to officials.

The remains were taken to the Padra Community Health Centre for autopsy and returned to their relatives. Gujarat’s chief minister Bhupendra Patel declared a compensation of ₹4 lakh for the families of individuals who perished in the bridge collapse.