Ignored Warnings, Shoddy Repairs—Did Negligence Kill 10 in Gujarat?

Was the collapse of the Gambhira Bridge near Padra on Wednesday morning an avoidable tragedy? As at least 10 lives were lost and rescue efforts continued late into the evening, disturbing questions are now being raised about the condition of Gujarat's public infrastructure, the role of state authorities, and whether this disaster was waiting to happen.

The bridge, connecting Anand and Vadodara districts, plays a crucial role in ferrying Saurashtra-bound traffic and has long been under scrutiny by locals. Around 7:30 am, without warning, a portion of the structure gave way—sending five vehicles, including trucks and a van, plunging into the Mahisagar River. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with locals jumping in to rescue the victims before emergency services could arrive.

While Vadodara (Rural) SP Rohan Anand confirmed the death toll, officials have hinted that the numbers could rise as divers and disaster response teams continue to scour the riverbed. So far, ten people have been pulled out of the water—some dead, some alive, others still missing.

But beyond the immediate rescue efforts, the political storm brewing in the aftermath has cast a long shadow over the incident.

Opposition parties, led by the Congress, have accused the BJP-led state government of turning a blind eye to repeated warnings about the bridge’s condition. “People had been saying for months that the bridge was shaking—that it could collapse anytime. Letters were written. Requests were made. Nothing happened,” said Congress leader Amit Chavda. Was this simply official negligence? Or, as some critics now suggest, the result of a deeper malaise—systemic corruption?

According to the Congress, the bridge had undergone recent repairs—but those very repairs are now being called into question. If crores were spent, why did the bridge still collapse? Could it be that the repair contracts were handed out not on merit but through backdoor deals? “The BJP takes a cut from contractors before awarding public work. Is this how critical infrastructure is being maintained?” the party alleged in a strongly-worded statement.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), TMC, and other opposition leaders have joined in the chorus, drawing parallels with the 2022 Morbi bridge disaster that left over 140 people dead. "How many bridges have to fall before someone is held accountable?" asked TMC MP Mahua Moitra. The Trinamool went further, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being more invested in photo-ops abroad than in addressing these recurring failures in his home state. “Is this an act of God, or an act of fraud?” they asked, in a scathing statement.

Meanwhile, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel claimed that the Prime Minister—currently on a foreign trip—had spoken to him, taken stock of the situation, and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. But for many, monetary compensation is not enough.

Is this yet another symptom of the so-called "Gujarat Model" being stretched thin under the weight of real-world accountability? Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate believes so, calling the model “hollow” and “a byword for corruption.” Others point to the rising number of structural failures—bridges, roads, railway incidents—that have occurred across the state in recent months.

Locals, too, are raising questions. If residents had flagged the danger, and if repairs had indeed been undertaken recently, then what exactly went wrong? Was the contractor qualified? Were proper safety audits conducted? And why do such tragedies seem to recur with alarming frequency?

As rescue operations continue and the state promises an “investigation,” one thing is clear: for the families of the victims, no inquiry will bring back what has been lost. But for Gujarat—and for India—this incident may well become a symbol of the urgent need to reassess the way public infrastructure is built, maintained, and monitored.

Or, perhaps, as many are now wondering: will this too be forgotten until the next bridge falls?

Also Read: Gujarat Bridge Collapse: CM Orders Probe, Announces Financial Aid