Ahmedabad, July 9 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday announced Rs 4 lakh solatium for the next of kin of the deceased in the bridge collapse in Vadodara. He also announced Rs 50,000 for the injured. Of the nine deceased in the tragedy, six have been identified as Vedika Padhiyar, Naitik Padhiyar, Hasmukh Parmar, Ramesh Padhiyar, Vakhtsinh Jadav, and Pravin Jadav. Some of the injured have been identified as Sonal Padhiyar, Narendrasinh Parmar, Ganpatsinh Rajula, Dilipbhai Padhiyar, Raju Dadubhai and Rajesh Chavda. The Chief Minister, in a post on social media platform X, shared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled him and took stock of the rescue and relief work undertaken by the government after the bridge collapse tragedy.

The 43-year-old bridge over the Mahisagar River in Vadodara collapsed early Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, PM Modi, expressing grief over the loss of lives, announced ex-gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). "The loss of lives due to the collapse of a bridge in Vadodara district is deeply saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon," the Prime Minister's Office (@PMOIndia) posted on X. The collapse occurred around 7.30 a.m. on the Gambhira bridge located near Mujpur village in Padra taluka.

This bridge served as a crucial link between the districts of Vadodara and Anand, and also formed a vital artery connecting Central Gujarat to Saurashtra. According to officials, multiple vehicles, including two trucks, an Eeco van, a pickup van, and an auto-rickshaw, were crossing the bridge when a large slab between two piers gave way, plunging the vehicles into the Mahisagar River. With the bridge now rendered unusable, authorities have announced alternate traffic routes: Heavy vehicles from Tarapur to Vadodara: take the Vasad route. Light vehicles to Vadodara: Use the Umeta route instead of the Gambhira Bridge. From Padra to Anand/Tarapur: heavy vehicles via Vasad, light vehicles via Umeta.

The Vadodara district administration, police, and fire brigade teams are currently leading the rescue operation, battling strong river currents. Eyewitnesses describe the chaotic aftermath as vehicles sank within seconds of the collapse. Retrieval of a truck submerged in the river remains a challenge. Padra MLA Chaitanyasinh Zala rushed to the site shortly after news broke, joining district officials in assessing the damage and coordinating relief efforts. Authorities have since cordoned off the area, and an investigation is expected to be launched to determine the exact cause of the collapse.