A span of the Vikramshila Setu bridge over the Ganga in Bhagalpur, Bihar, collapsed in two stages late Sunday night. No casualties were reported due to timely alerts. The state government has requested assistance from the Army and Border Roads Organisation for reconstruction and ordered a probe.
The collapse of the Vikramshila bridge, which connects South Bihar to the Kosi and Seemanchal regions, occurred around 11.55 pm with initial structural failures at bridge number 133, followed by a total span collapse at 1.07 am. This split the 4.7-km bridge into two parts. Bhagalpur District Magistrate Nawal Kishore Choudhary stated, “No untoward incident was reported as an alert had been sounded. We have diverted Bhagalpur traffic towards Munger while traffic on the other side has been diverted towards Khagaria.”
Two engineers from the Road Construction Department were suspended for ignoring red flags, and a probe has been ordered into the incident. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary spoke to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday, seeking permission for the Border Roads Organisation and Army to handle reconstruction.
The bridge, opened in 2001 under the Rabri Devi government and managed by the Bihar Road Construction Department and Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited, had prior safety concerns. Chandrashekhar Singh, chairman of Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Ltd, said, “It could have been a major incident as there is a huge traffic rush on the bridge but for alertness of Bhagalpur district administration.” He noted that a team had inspected a minor problem flagged a month ago, with IIT Patna advising that pillars and the bridge remained intact despite a damaged false wall.
Repairs to the damaged portion are expected within three months, though a parallel four-lane bridge will not be operational until later this year. Traffic diversions to the Munger–Khagaria route have disrupted connectivity, forcing buses and trucks to take longer paths via North Bihar.
