Gujarat: Late-night rescue operations continue in Vadodara bridge collapse tragedy

Vadodara, July 9 (IANS) In the aftermath of the tragic bridge collapse near Mujpur village in Padra, Vadodara, intense rescue operations have been ongoing for the past 12 hours.

Emergency teams are working around the clock to locate the missing and retrieve bodies from the debris.

According to officials, a truck laden with ceramic tiles and stuck in thick sludge in the Mahisagar riverbed has become a focal point of the search operation.

Using floodlights, rescue workers continued their efforts late into the night. Steel cables were brought in and attached to a Hitachi excavator to upright the overturned truck.

During this process, the bodies of three individuals were recovered. It has been confirmed that 12 people lost their lives in the Bridge tragedy, while over 10 others sustained injuries and were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

In a development, a social worker has submitted an application at the Padra police station, demanding that a case of culpable homicide be registered against those responsible for the incident.

So far, 10 of the deceased have been identified and their bodies handed over to their families. District Collector and senior officials have remained stationed at the site since morning, overseeing the rescue efforts.

The deceased were taken to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Padra for post-mortem and subsequently handed over to their families. District Development Officer Mamta Hirpara and the Chief District Health Officer remained present at the CHC, ensuring that the grieving families faced no inconvenience.

Taking serious note of the incident, the state government has deployed the Chief Engineer of the Roads and Buildings Department, Mr. Pateliya, to the site for a technical assessment and further action.

With increased water flow in the Mahisagar river expected due to the upcoming Poonam (full moon) tide, authorities are racing against time to complete as much of the rescue work as possible before conditions worsen.

By late evening, two of the deceased were identified as Mahendrabhai Parvatbhai Hathiya from Dwarka and Vishnubhai Rawal from Anklav. Their families have been notified.

--IANS

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