Gujarat Bridge Collapse Sends Vehicles Into River, Injures 10 in Early Morning Tragedy

Gambhira Bridge snaps near Vadodara, leaving vehicles mangled in Mahisagar riverbed; rescue ops on as questions over infrastructure pile up

A regular Wednesday morning turned into chaos near Vadodara when part of the Gambhira Bridge collapsed without warning. Vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar River, leaving ten people injured—some critically—and raising alarm bells about the condition of regional infrastructure.

Emergency crews scrambled to the scene. The bridge was a lifeline for locals and transporters connecting Central Gujarat to Saurashtra.

The bridge gave way, and then came the screams

It was just after 7:30 AM. The day had barely begun.

Three vehicles—a truck, a van, and a car—were making their way across the Padra–Mujpur stretch, a routine many make daily. But then, a section of the bridge suddenly buckled, sending all three crashing down into the Mahisagar River.

Eyewitnesses say it happened in a split second.

“There was a loud crack, like thunder, and then dust everywhere,” said a local who rushed to help. “People were screaming for help. We could see a van half-submerged, wheels spinning in the water.”

Ten people were pulled out, fire brigade officials confirmed. Some with broken bones. Others unconscious.

Three to four were said to be in critical condition.

First responders race the clock

Locals didn’t wait.

Before fire brigade units and police arrived, villagers living nearby were already in the water. Makeshift ropes, bamboo poles, and even tires were used to pull people out. It was rough and risky—but instinct kicked in.

Within 30 minutes, emergency responders were on-site. And by 9:00 AM, the area had turned into a full-blown disaster response zone.

Ambulances stood by as divers searched for anyone possibly stuck under the vehicles.

Here’s what officials confirmed by late morning:

• 3 vehicles fell into the river

• 10 people were injured

• Rescue operations are ongoing with police, fire brigade, and SDRF units

• The collapsed bridge section is roughly 25 km from Vadodara

A vital route—now a mangled gap in concrete

The bridge wasn’t some back-alley shortcut. This was a crucial artery between two major zones—Central Gujarat and Saurashtra.

Transporters use it every day. Buses, freight carriers, private cars. It’s a lifeline, really.

Now? There’s just a gaping hole.

Local traders are worried. “We rely on this route to send stock to Jamnagar and Bhavnagar,” said one textile merchant in Padra. “Now we’ll have to detour 40 to 50 kilometers extra.”

It’s not just business. School buses take this path. So do ambulances from rural clinics heading toward Vadodara city.

One man from Mujpur pointed out, “Imagine if this had happened during rush hour. Or with school kids.”

That thought lingers.

A recurring concern: Are Gujarat’s bridges safe?

This isn’t the first time Gujarat’s bridges have come under scrutiny.

The Morbi suspension bridge collapse in 2022, which claimed over 130 lives, is still fresh in public memory. And while the Gambhira Bridge was different in design and scale, the concerns are eerily familiar.

Back in 2017, a report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways highlighted that over 23% of bridges in India were structurally “distressed.” Several were flagged in Gujarat too.

Here’s a quick look at recent bridge-related incidents in the state:

Experts say regular structural audits are either skipped or poorly executed.

“There’s no system of proactive repair. Only patchwork after disasters,” said a civil engineering professor from MSU Baroda.

Who’s responsible? That question is already flying

Local politicians and bureaucrats were quick to visit the site. Photo ops followed. So did finger-pointing.

An official from the Vadodara rural district office said a detailed audit would begin “immediately.”

But residents aren’t buying it.

“You mean to tell us this bridge, which so many use every single day, didn’t show any signs?” asked a furious woman whose husband was among the injured.

The bridge was reportedly over 30 years old, and hadn’t seen major repairs in nearly a decade. That’s according to two local panchayat members.

Maintenance? Patchy. Inspections? Infrequent. Accountability? Shrinking.

People are rattled—and rightfully so

Everyone near Padra and Mujpur is shaken. Traffic is being rerouted. Mobile networks are clogged due to calls. Schools are shut in nearby villages for the day.

One young boy, standing near the collapsed stretch, summed it up: “It’s like the road vanished.”

In the villages surrounding Mahisagar, trust is low and tempers are high. People want answers, not just sympathy.

For now, the focus remains on the injured—and thankfully, no deaths have been confirmed yet.

But you can feel it in the air: frustration, fear, and a creeping realization that this might not be the last time something like this happens.