One person died and nine others were injured after a portion of an under-construction bridge collapsed in the Indian state of Bihar on Friday (Mar 22) morning. The accident occurred in Bihar's Supaul near Maricha between Bheja-Bakaur. Supaul DM Kaushal Kumar announced monetary compensation for the deceased and injured. Speaking to ANI he said, A part of the bridge had collapsed, in which one person has died and 10 are injured. The injured are under treatment and are out of danger. Ex gratia of Rs. 10 lakhs for the deceased and Rs. 1 lakh for the injured has been announced... We are trying to find out if more people are stuck with the help of cranes.
The bustling construction site near Maricha turned into a scene of chaos and devastation after the collapse at around 7am today, prompting urgent rescue efforts by local authorities and volunteers. Authorities fear that 30 workers could still be trapped under the debris. According to reports, the bridge was being built at a cost of ₹ 984 crore over the river Kosi.The accident bears an uncanny resemblance to the collapse of an under-construction bridge in Bihar's Bhagalpur, which had sparked a wr of words between the state government and the opposition BJP. The four-lane bridge constructed over the river Ganges had come crashing down like a house of cards. The under-construction bridge, a portion of which caved in, involved a cost of over ₹ 1,700 crore and was supposed to be completed by 2019. The foundation stone of the structure was laid in February 2014, by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.