GG News Bureau
Vadodara, 10th July: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday suspended four engineers of the state’s Roads and Buildings Department in connection with the collapse of a four-decade-old bridge over the Mahisagar river in Vadodara district, which has so far claimed 16 lives, with several still missing.
The decision came after an expert report ordered by the Chief Minister revealed irregularities in repairs, inspections, and quality checks. A government release confirmed the immediate suspension of Executive Engineer N.M. Nayakawala, Deputy Executive Engineers U.C. Patel and R.T. Patel, and Assistant Engineer J.V. Shah.
The bridge, which connects Anand and Vadodara districts, collapsed near Gambhira village close to Padra town on Wednesday morning, causing multiple vehicles to plunge into the river.
Vadodara Superintendent of Police Rohan Anand confirmed that 16 bodies have been recovered so far and that search and rescue operations are ongoing, with three to four persons still missing. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are continuing the operation.
CM Patel has also ordered intensive inspections of all bridges across Gujarat to ensure safety and prevent such incidents in the future.
