Gujarat: Death toll in Gambhira bridge collapse rises to 18, two still missing

PADRA (Gujarat): The death toll in the Gambhira bridge collapse incident in Gujarat’s Vadodara has risen to 18 with the recovery of more bodies, officials said on Friday.

Speaking to reporters, Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya said that the rescue and recovery operation is still going on to find the two missing people and remove the debris from the incident spot.

#WATCH | Padra, Gujarat | Morning visuals from the site of the collapse of the Gambhira bridge on the Mahisagar river, connecting Vadodara and Anand.

The death toll stands at 17. pic.twitter.com/hq9xxjodRA

— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2025

A section of the Gambhira bridge connecting Vadodara and Anand collapsed on July 9 and fell into the Mahisagar river below. The official noted that the five victims of the incident are undergoing treatment in the hospital and are in stable condition.

Dhameliya said, “…Rescue and recovery operation is going on. Day before yesterday, we recovered 12 bodies, and yesterday, we recovered 6 dead bodies. 5 live victims are undergoing treatment and are stable. The remaining dead bodies are trapped under a slab and efforts are underway to recover them. The driver of the truck which is trapped is also missing, we are trying to find his body. In the middle of the river, there is a 3-4 metre layer of quicksand…”

#WATCH | Padra, Gujarat | On Gambhira bridge collapse and rescue efforts, Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya says, “All our teams are conducting the rescue operations since yesterday… Removing the trucks stuck in the mud is a big challenge for us. We have succeeded in it to some… https://t.co/dkay2ro324 pic.twitter.com/qY6moIgFDa

— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2025

“Soda ash is being released into the water, which is causing irritation and itching to the rescue team… Our team is working after neutralising it. A tanker of sulphuric acid is trapped inside, so we are making sure it does not get released. The basic objective of today’s operation is to retrieve the dead bodies and remove the debris… The death toll stands at 18, and 2 people are still missing…” he stated.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has ordered a high-level inquiry into the recent bridge collapse on the Mujpur-Gambhira bridge connecting Vadodara and Anand. The CM has entrusted a team of experts to conduct a detailed investigation and prepare a report on the repairs, inspections, and quality checks carried out on the bridge.

According to the Department of Information, based on the preliminary investigation, four officers have been suspended with immediate effect. NM Naikwala (Executive Engineer), UC Patel (Deputy Executive Engineer), RT Patel (Deputy Executive Engineer) and JV Shah (Assistant Engineer) have been suspended with immediate effect.

The Chief Minister has also directed that thorough inspections be carried out on other bridges in the state to ensure public safety. (ANI)