Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed deep sorrow over the collapse of the Gambhira Bridge in Gujarat&rsquo;s Vadodara district, which led to the deaths of at least thirteen people and left several others injured.&nbsp;
During his ongoing foreign visit, PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to obtain full details of the incident and offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
In a post on social media, the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office stated, &ldquo;The loss of lives due to the collapse of a bridge in Vadodara district, Gujarat, is deeply saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.&rdquo;&nbsp;
He also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured, from the Prime Minister&rsquo;s National Relief Fund.
CM Bhupendra Patel, in a statement, said, &ldquo;The Hon&rsquo;ble Prime Minister, during his foreign visit, held a telephonic conversation with me to obtain complete details about the accident that occurred at the Gambhira Bridge connecting Anand-Vadodara and expressed condolences for the deceased who lost their lives in this accident. He expressed concern for the treatment of those injured and gathered information regarding the ongoing rescue and relief operations.&rdquo;
Following the incident, the Chief Minister immediately dispatched a technical team, including the Chief Engineer &ndash; Design, Chief Engineer &ndash; South Gujarat, and two private bridge construction experts to the site. The Roads and Buildings Department was instructed to carry out a preliminary investigation into the structural failure.
Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi confirmed that the Gambhira Bridge, which links Anand and Vadodara, collapsed at around 7 am on Wednesday. &ldquo;As of now, nine people have died and six have been rescued. A high-level technical team has been sent to the site, and strict action will be taken against those responsible,&rdquo; he said.
Gujarat government spokesperson and Health Minister Rushikesh Patel stated that preliminary reports indicate five vehicles fell into the river after the collapse. The bridge, inaugurated in 1985, had 23 piers and underwent periodic maintenance, he said. &ldquo;The exact reason behind the collapse will be probed.&rdquo;
Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya said rescue operations commenced immediately with the help of local community members. Teams from the Vadodara Municipal Corporation, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Emergency Response Department, and the police reached the site soon after.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Most of the bodies have been recovered. Two trucks, one EECO car, one auto rickshaw, and one pickup van fell into the river,&rdquo; he confirmed to Benefit News. Two injured individuals were referred to SSG Hospital, while others were sent to nearby hospitals.
ACP Rohan Anand of Vadodara Police stated, &ldquo;The accident occurred around 7:30 am. A 10&ndash;15 metre slab broke and fell. Locals initiated rescue operations using ropes and boats before law enforcement arrived. Rescue work is ongoing.&rdquo;
The bridge&rsquo;s condition had been a matter of concern for years. In 2017, the Congress party had called for the bridge to be closed to heavy vehicles due to its deteriorating state. The CM had already approved a new Rs 212 crore bridge three months ago, with design and tendering work underway at the time of the incident.
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(Left) Photo of Bridge Collapse and PM Modi (Right)

With 13 confirmed dead, PM Modi calls CM Patel and ensures rescue and relief measures.

Bridge Collapse: PM Calls Gujarat CM, Approves Relief Aid

With 13 confirmed dead, PM Modi calls CM Patel and ensures rescue and relief measures.

July 9, 2025 | 19:54 IST