Vadodara Bridge Collapse: CM Bhupendra Patel Announces ₹4 Lakh Compensation for Victims’ Families
BILKULONLINE
Ahmedabad, July 9: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has announced a compensation of ₹4 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives in the Vadodara bridge collapse that occurred early Wednesday morning. Injured victims will receive ₹50,000 each.
The tragic incident took place around 7:30 a.m. when a section of the 43-year-old Gambhira bridge, spanning the Mahisagar River near Mujpur village in Padra taluka, gave way. Several vehicles — including two trucks, an Eeco van, a pickup van, and an auto-rickshaw — plunged into the river as a large slab between two piers collapsed.
Nine people have been confirmed dead so far, with six victims identified as Vedika Padhiyar, Naitik Padhiyar, Hasmukh Parmar, Ramesh Padhiyar, Vakhtsinh Jadav, and Pravin Jadav. Among the injured are Sonal Padhiyar, Narendrasinh Parmar, Ganpatsinh Rajula, Dilipbhai Padhiyar, Raju Dadubhai, and Rajesh Chavda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). He also spoke to Chief Minister Patel to take stock of the rescue and relief efforts.
“This is a deeply saddening incident. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” read a post from the Prime Minister’s Office on X.
The Gambhira bridge was a vital connector between the districts of Vadodara and Anand, forming an essential route linking Central Gujarat to Saurashtra. With the bridge now out of service, authorities have issued alternate traffic routes:
Heavy vehicles from Tarapur to Vadodara should now take the Vasad route.
Light vehicles are advised to use the Umeta route.
For travel from Padra to Anand or Tarapur, heavy vehicles should go via Vasad, while light vehicles can use Umeta.
Rescue operations, led by the` Vadodara district administration, police, and fire brigade, are ongoing despite strong river currents. Eyewitnesses reported that vehicles sank within seconds of the collapse. Recovery efforts are particularly focused on retrieving a truck that remains submerged.
Padra MLA Chaitanyasinh Zala reached the site promptly and joined officials in coordinating relief and assessment. Authorities have cordoned off the area, and a detailed investigation will be launched to determine the cause of the collapse.