Madhya Pradesh bridge collapse: 1 killed, 3 injured as scooter, motorcycle plunge; officials suspended

BHOPAL: A portion of the bridge on the Bareilly–Pipariya state highway in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh collapsed suddenly on Monday, sending a scooter and a motorcycle plunging into the gap. Three people, including a labourer working beneath the structure, were injured, while a scooter rider was killed.Traffic on the highway was completely halted, and the damaged bridge was closed to all vehicles. The injured were taken to Bareilly Civil Hospital and later referred to AIIMS Bhopal in critical condition.The administration suspended MPRDC manager A A Khan, citing negligence in maintenance. Show-cause notices were also issued to the current and former divisional managers and assistant general managers.A three-member inquiry panel headed by the chief engineer was constituted and asked to submit its report within seven days. Senior officials, including the SDOP, tehsildar, and station in-charge, reached the spot soon after the accident.Repair and strengthening work were underway under the bridge at the time of the collapse. Six labourers were present below the structure; most managed to run to safety, though one was injured by falling debris. Of the five total injured, one sustained minor injury. Four with major injuries were identified as Devendra Dhakad, Devendra Lodhi, Jagdish Kewat, and Mahesh Kewat. Jagdish and Mahesh were on a motorcycle, while Devendra Dhakad was on a scooter—both vehicles fell into the gap as the bridge collapsed. Devendra Lodhi was among the labourers working near the bridge.Devendra Dhakad, 29, died during treatment at AIIMS Bhopal on Monday evening.SP Raisen, Ashutosh Gupta, said, "Our teams rushed to the spot as soon as we received information. The injured were taken to the hospital, and traffic on the route was diverted as a long bottleneck formed."The incident triggered an uproar in the state Assembly, with Congress MLAs alleging that despite ongoing repair work, traffic was not stopped or diverted, reflecting serious negligence.Congress MLA Vikrant Bhuria said repeated bridge collapses expose "large-scale corruption" in the govt. He also pointed out that the incident occurred in the constituency of the Union agriculture minister.PWD minister Rakesh Singh responded that the bridge was already under repair and collapsed during ongoing work. He added that he spoke to the MPRDC MD and instructed action against responsible engineers. On corruption allegations, Singh said the bridges were originally built during the Congress regime.Heavy police presence has been deployed. The highway remains closed, causing significant inconvenience to commuters. The collector later visited AIIMS Bhopal to meet the injured and assured families that the administration is providing all possible assistance.With the bridge shut, traffic is being routed via the old culvert in Nayagaon village. A temporary diversion is also being created by laying Hume pipes near the collapsed portion.