A sudden bridge collapse on a crucial state highway in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district resulted in one fatality and left five individuals injured on Monday. The incident has triggered administrative action, a political uproar, and major traffic disruptions.
Collapse Details and Immediate Aftermath
A section of the bridge on the Bareilly–Pipariya state highway gave way without warning. A scooter and a motorcycle travelling on the structure fell into the resulting gap. Concurrently, repair and strengthening work was ongoing beneath the bridge, where six labourers were present.
Most labourers managed to escape, but one was struck by falling debris. In total, five people sustained injuries. Four suffered major injuries: Devendra Dhakad (scooter rider), Jagdish Kewat and Mahesh Kewat (motorcycle riders), and Devendra Lodhi (a labourer). One person received minor injuries. Tragically, 29-year-old Devendra Dhakad succumbed to his injuries during treatment at AIIMS Bhopal on Monday evening.
Administrative Action and Political Fallout
The Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation (MPRDC) manager, A A Khan, was suspended immediately, with the administration citing negligence in maintenance. Show-cause notices were issued to the current and former divisional managers and assistant general managers.
A three-member inquiry panel headed by the chief engineer was formed and given seven days to submit its report. Senior police and revenue officials rushed to the accident site promptly after being alerted.
The incident sparked a heated debate in the state Assembly. Congress MLAs alleged serious negligence, pointing out that traffic was not halted despite the ongoing repair work. Congress MLA Vikrant Bhuria accused the government of "large-scale corruption," noting the bridge is in the constituency of the Union Agriculture Minister.
In response, PWD Minister Rakesh Singh stated the collapse occurred during repair work. He countered corruption allegations by stating the bridge was originally constructed during the Congress regime.
Traffic Chaos and Relief Measures
Following the collapse, traffic on the highway was completely halted, creating a long bottleneck. The damaged bridge was closed to all vehicles. Heavy police presence was deployed to manage the situation.
To restore connectivity, traffic is being rerouted via the old culvert in Nayagaon village. Authorities are also creating a temporary diversion by laying Hume pipes near the collapsed section.
The district collector visited AIIMS Bhopal to meet the injured and assured their families of all possible assistance from the administration. The injured were initially taken to Bareilly Civil Hospital before being referred to AIIMS Bhopal in critical condition.
