In a harrowing incident in Supaul, Bihar, a slab from a bridge under construction on the Kosi River suddenly collapsed, leading to one laborer's death and fears of several trapped beneath the debris. Supaul's District Magistrate Kaushal Kumar reported that part of the bridge at Mariacha between Bheja-Bakaur collapsed, killing one and injuring nine others.
Previously on May 15, 2023, a box bridge in Purnia crumbled during casting. The incident occurred at the Miliktola Haat of Chandragama Panchayat in the Baisi block. Earlier in February, a bridge under construction in Baisi's Khapra collapsed, costing over 1.14 crore rupees and seriously injuring two workers. Within three months, the bridge crumbled again.
In Saharsa district, a bridge under construction collapsed in June 2022 within the eastern Kosi embankment. Valued at 147 lakh rupees, the bridge's downfall was attributed to the contractor's rushed casting, despite warnings to change the centering.
There have been numerous such collapses in the past, including the segment of the Sultanpur-Aguwani bridge affected by storms, the approach path to Shri Krishna Setu, and a recently inaugurated Gopalganj bridge that got swept away by river currents. Each of these events has not only shaken the political corridors but also made national headlines.
In July 2022, ten workers were injured when an under-construction Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) bridge in Katihar district fell. The bridge over the Kosi channel aimed to connect the blocks of Sameli and Barari and was budgeted at 1 crore rupees.
Before this, under-construction bridges had collapsed in Kishanganj, Saharsa, and Bhagalpur even before their inauguration.
