Small bridge collapses in Danapur, 1 injured

Patna: A small bridge under construction suddenly collapsed, trapping two workers under the debris in the Danapur area of Patna district on Saturday. The bridge was being built as part of the Vijay Singh Path-Dhibra road project. One worker was rescued with severe injuries and is fighting for life in hospital, while another escaped by hiding under the bridge. Locals have raised concerns about the quality of construction and administrative oversight.

According to the police, the bridge was part of the road connecting Dhibra village in the Shahpur police station area. Construction work started around 15 days ago and was still in progress when a section of the bridge collapsed, leading to injuries to a construction worker. The injured was identified as Santosh Kumar.

Alleging irregularities in the construction work, villagers claimed that the bridge was being constructed directly on soil without any strong base or solid iron pillars. Local people alleged that substandard quality material was being used.

A local villager, Sudarshan Kumar, said, “Two similar bridges were being constructed in the area. One has already collapsed, while the other has also been built with the same weak technique, which could invite a major accident at any time.”

Locals, including Anil Kumar, Ramji and Sudarshan Kumar, along with others, demanded strict action against the contractor and concerned officials.

The villagers appealed to the administration to get the second bridge inspected immediately and to halt the construction work forthwith so that no more lives are lost in the future.

Shahpur SHO Sunil Kumar said, “The bridge was being built on a drain for smooth connectivity of the vehicles in the village. It is being constructed under the Mukhyamantri Gramin Sadak Yojana. The injured worker has been admitted to the Danapur Sadar Hospital for treatment. He is severely injured, but out of danger.”