Bhagalpur (Bihar) [India], May 4 : A slab of the Vikramshila Setu bridge over the Ganga river in Bihar's Bhagalpur district collapsed on Monday, prompting authorities to divert traffic via an alternative route.
Officials, however, confirmed that no casualties have been reported in the incident.
Bhagalpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramod Kumar Yadav said an alternative road via Munger has been activated for commuters and urged people, including those with medical emergencies, to use the diverted route towards Patna.
Speaking to reporters, Pramod Kumar Yadav said, "An alternative road via Munger is active right now..there have been no casualties... I want to urge referred medical emergency cases and also commoners to take the alternative road to Patna... Police and administration are alert and are working to restore normalcy..."
Late at night, a slab located between two pillars of the Vikramshila Setu, a long bridge spanning the Ganges River that connects the Purvanchal region to Seemanchal, suddenly collapsed in Bhagalpur.
Upon receiving news of the incident, District Magistrate Naval Kishore Chaudhary, SSP Pramod Kumar Yadav, Sadar SDM Vikas Kumar, City DSP Ajay Kumar Chaudhary, and Traffic DSP Sanjay Kumar rushed to the scene.
They have halted traffic movement in the area and diverted the route; people present at the site are being persuaded to leave and are being safely evacuated.
Currently, the Vikramshila Setu, which serves as a vital link between Bhagalpur and Seemanchal, remains completely closed to traffic.
Reports suggest that, a 10-inch expansion joint first subsided; subsequently, late at night, a slab near pier number 133 suddenly gave way and plunged into the Ganges River.
The incident caused a state of panic in the area. The accident occurred at a time when a long queue of vehicles had formed on the Vikramshila Setu; however, due to the alertness of the police, a potentially major disaster was narrowly averted.
As of now, the Vikramshila Setu has been sealed off from both the Naugachhia and Bhagalpur ends.
It is worth noting that hundreds of thousands of people commute across the Vikramshila Setu daily, with a traffic volume exceeding 30,000 vehicles.
The Vikramshila Setu connects Bhagalpur to 16 districts, including those in the Seemanchal region.
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