Steel bridge on River Sarma collapsed due to overloaded lorry

An overloaded lorry caused the collapse of a steel bridge at Gandacherra subdivision of Dhalai district on Saturday causing injuries  to  one person. The incident took place on the bridge situated over the river Sarma, a crucial link between the 60 and 30 card areas of the subdivision.

Sources said that a 16-wheeler lorry, carrying stone chips from Gandacherra to 30-Card area, was crossing the bridge when it collapsed. The lorry along with its load plunged into the river.

Meanwhile, a resident of the 60-card area identified as Chittaranjan Biswas who was on the bridge at the time got injuries and  he was taken to the Gandacherra  sub divisional hospital for treatment.

After the accident, the transportation of goods carrying vehicles in Gandacherra-Amarpur route was affected and students of Gandacherra Government Degree College who use the bridge for their daily transportation, stalled on Saturday after the bridge collapsed.

Local people have been demanding a concrete bridge for a long time, but no one cares,said a local resident.

The Public Works Department (PDW) had initiated the construction of a concrete bridge five years ago but the project has stalled. "The construction has been moving at a snail's pace, it seems like the authorities are not taking this issue seriously," said another local resident.

A PWD official confirmed that the lorry was overloaded and the bridge had a load capacity of 10 tons, but it was moving in the road over three times excess of its capacity and the department  will take legal action against the lorry driver and will ensure the steel bridge is repaired within a week.

SDO Rabindra Debbarma assured to arrange an alternative road for vehicles and the restoration work of the steel bridge will be started from Sunday.