Search ops resume at Gujarat bridge collapse site to retrieve missing man
The toll in the tragedy rose to 20 on Friday after one more body was recovered from the river and another injured person died at the hospital while undergoing treatment.
One more person is still missing, and efforts to find him resumed on Saturday, Vadodara collector Anil Dhameliya said.
Several vehicles plunged into the river after a segment of the 40-year-old bridge near Gambhira village, connecting Anand and Vadodara districts, collapsed on Wednesday morning.
The collector said another focus of the operation on Saturday will be to remove a large chunk of slab that has fallen into the river.
"In the next stage of our operation , we will take the help of a technical team to remove the main slab and retrieve the body of the missing person. The Gujarat Pollution Control Board will be roped in to safely extricate the tanker carrying sulphuric acid that has fallen into the river," Dhameliya said.
Citing a preliminary probe report, a state minister had on Friday said the collapse was caused by the "crushing of pedestal and articulation joints".
Rescuers have been working amid challenging conditions such as 3.5-metre-deep mud, release of soda ash in water and the presence of a tanker containing sulphuric acid.
The National Disaster Response Force , State Disaster Response Force and other agencies are part of the rescue efforts.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has suspended four engineers of the state's Roads and Buildings Department in connection with the bridge collapse.
Minister Rushikesh Patel, who visited the site of the tragedy on Friday, said that the action was taken based on a preliminary report submitted by a committee set up by the chief minister.
A high-level probe committee of the state's roads and buildings department will submit a detailed report in 30 days, he said.
Out of the 7,000 bridges in the state that have been surveyed, the government has identified those that need repairs or require the construction of new ones. Action is taken on them accordingly, he said after the visit.
Gujarat has witnessed six major incidents of bridge collapse since 2021.
In December 2021, a slab collapsed during the construction of the Mumatpura flyover on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city. Nobody was injured in the incident.
In October 2022, as many as 135 persons were killed when a British-era suspension bridge over the Machchhu River in Morbi town collapsed.
In June 2023, a newly built bridge on the Mindhola River in the Tapi district collapsed. No one was hurt in the accident.
In September 2023, four persons were injured after a portion of an old bridge on the Bhogavo River in Surendranagar district collapsed when a 40-tonne dumper was navigating it near Wadhwan city.
In October 2023, two persons sitting in an autorickshaw died after six concrete girders or slabs, which were installed on the pillars of an under-construction bridge near the RTO Circle in Palanpur town of Banaskantha, collapsed.
In August 2024, a small bridge on the Bhogavo River connecting Habiyasar village with Chotila town in Surendranagar district collapsed after a sudden rise in water following discharge from an overflowing dam. No casualties were reported in the incident.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Ghislaine Maxwell to tell ‘truth' about Epstein client list before Congress? Bombshell details emerge
Ghislaine Maxwell is ready to tell the 'truth' about Jeffrey Epstein's so-called client list before Congress, an insider told the Daily Mail. The source said Maxwell would be 'happy to sit before Congress and tell her story.' This undated trial evidence image obtained December 8, 2021, from the US District Court for the Southern District of New York shows British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and US financier Jeffrey Epstein (Photo by Handout / US District Court for the Southern District of New York / AFP)(AFP) 'Despite the rumors, Ghislaine was never offered any kind of plea deal. She would be more than happy to sit before Congress and tell her story,' the source said, according to the outlet. They added, 'No one from the government has ever asked her to share what she knows. She remains the only person to be jailed in connection to Epstein and she would welcome the chance to tell the American public the truth.' No evidence of a client list This comes shortly after a review ordered by President Donald Trump-appointed leadership of the Justice Department and the FBI said they found no evidence that Jeffrey Epstein kept a "client list" of associates. Previously, it was claimed that the financier blackmailed or conspired with the individuals mentioned in the list to victimize several women. The new information landed Attorney General Pam Bondi under, as she had previously vowed she would publicly release documents connected to the Epstein case. Meanwhile, the department also released purported footage as part of its review, which according to officials confirm that Epstein died by suicide. Epstein was found dead while in custody in his jail cell in Manhattan in 2019. Maxwell was also involved in Epstein's crimes. She is now serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in December 2021. Maxwell was accused of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse minor girls. Investigative reporter Tara Palmeri previously said that Maxwell may be helping the FBI take down Epstein's collaborators, which could help her avoid serving the full 20-year sentence. 'I think she's probably helping them right now,' Palmeri told Joanna Coles on The Daily Beast Podcast. 'I don't think she's going to spend all 20 years in jail.' 'They can't let her out right now, there would be public outrage,' Palmeri added. 'But [when] nobody's paying attention, story's gone away, few years, Ghislaine's out, or ends up in some nice prison. This is what I've been told by law enforcement sources.'
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
"Protectors Of Law...": Omar Abdullah Shares Video Of Grappling With Cops
Srinagar: Chaotic scenes played out near the Martyrs' Graveyard in Srinagar this morning as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his supporters reached the memorial to pay tributes and police personnel tried to stop them. Sharing a video on X, Mr Abdullah said, "This is the physical grappling I was subjected to but I am made of sterner stuff and was not to be stopped." "I was doing nothing unlawful or illegal. In fact, these 'protectors of the law' need to explain under what law they were trying to stop us from offering Fatiha," he said. This is the physical grappling I was subjected to but I am made of sterner stuff & was not to be stopped. I was doing nothing unlawful or illegal. In fact these "protectors of the law" need to explain under what law they were trying to stop us from offering Fatiha — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 14, 2025 Mr Abdullah visited the memorial to pay tributes to Kashmiri protesters shot dead by Maharaja Hari Singh's Dogra forces on July 13, 1931. The Chief Minister and top Jammu and Kashmir leaders were barred from visiting the Martyrs' Graveyard, or Mazar-e-Shuhada, yesterday. "We were not allowed to read the Fatiha here yesterday. People were kept confined to their homes. When the gates were opened and I informed the control room that I wanted to come here, a bunker was set up in front of my gate and it was not removed till late at night. Today I did not tell them at all. Without telling them, I sat into the car (and drove here)," he told the media after offering his tribute at the memorial. "Look at their shamelessness. Even today, they tried to stop us. We parked the car at Nowhatta Chowk. They put a bunker in front of us and tried to manhandle us. These policemen in uniform sometimes forget the law. I want to ask them, under which law did they try to stop us today? The restrictions were for yesterday. They say this is a free country, but sometimes they think we are their slaves. We are not anyone's slaves. If we are slaves, we are the people's slaves," the National Conference leader said, targeting the security forces in the Valley, which are under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha's control. "They tried to stop us, to tear apart our flags, but their attempts failed. We came and read the fatiha," he said. The administration of the Lieutenant Governor had denied permission for the Martyrs' Day function and warned of strict action against anyone who tried to proceed towards the Martyrs' Graveyard. Condemning this, Mr Abdullah posted last morning, "13th July massacre is our Jallianwala Bagh. The people who laid down their lives did so against the British. Kashmir was being ruled under the British Paramountcy. What a shame that true heroes who fought against British rule in all its forms are today projected as villains only because they were Muslims. We may be denied the opportunity to visit their graves today, but we will not forget their sacrifices." Other Kashmir leaders, including PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference leader Sajad Lone, too, put out posts slamming their confinement. What Happened On July 13, 1931 July 13 is an epochal day in the history of Kashmir. On this day in 1931, a group of Kashmiris were protesting outside the Srinagar jail. They were supporters of Abdul Qadeer, who had called on Kashmiris to rise against Dogra ruler Hari Singh and was charged with sedition. On July 13, a large group of protesters gathered outside the prison where Abdul Qadeer was being held. Faced with the protesters, the Maharaja's forces opened fire, killing 22 people. The July 13 killings triggered massive protests and forced the Dogra ruler and the British to look into the grievances of the Muslim community in the Valley. The first Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir were also a political fallout of the July 13 killings. These polls marked the beginning of the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir after centuries of autocratic rule, even though the Maharaja had sweeping powers on key matters. What Has Changed Earlier, police personnel gave a gun salute and floral tributes were offered at the Martyrs' Graveyard on July 13 every year. Political leaders would pay tributes and hold public meetings in memory of those killed in 1931. But ever since the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked in 2019 and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union territories, the administration has prohibited any function at the Martyrs' graveyard. Since 2020, July 13 and December 5 -- former Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister and Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah's birth anniversary -- have been dropped as official holidays. Instead, the birth anniversary of Dogra ruler Hari Singh is now a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
ED questions Robert Vadra in money laundering probe
Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, on Monday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with the agency's probe against fugitive arms middleman Sanjay Bhandari, people familiar with the development said. He had earlier skipped ED summons on two occasions - June 10 and 17 - citing different reasons. (File photo) The businessman husband of Congress member of Parliament Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reached the ED's office at APJ Abdul Kalam Road around 11am and was interrogated by a team regarding his association with Bhandari, a property in London linked to him and other related aspects of the case, officials said. He had earlier skipped ED summons on two occasions - June 10 and 17 - citing different reasons. ED's probe against Bhandari, in which Vadra is also under the scanner, relates to two properties in London as well as some land parcels in India. A Delhi court on July 5 declared Bhandari a fugitive economic offender, a tag which allows ED to attach his properties worth ₹655 crore. Also Read: ED issues fresh summons to Robert Vadra for Tuesday in money laundering case As exclusively reported by HT on July 9, the financial crimes probe agency has identified 16 properties of Sanjay Bhandari (12 in Delhi NCR, two each worth several million dollars in the UK and the UAE) and bank deposits, jewellery and cash running into crores, which can now be confiscated because he was declared a fugitive economic offender (FEO)z The properties traced for confiscation are located in South City-1 and DLF Phase 1 in Gurugram, Jaypee Greens in Noida, Shahpur Jat, Hauz Khas, Vasant Vihar, Panchsheel Park (four properties), and Greater Kailash (two properties) in Delhi. The two properties in London are 12, Bryanston Square, which is also linked to Robert Vadra, and Flat number 6, Grosvenor Hill Court, 13 Bourdon Street. ED has previously claimed that Bryanston Square property, purchased in 2009 for 1.9 million pounds, was linked to Vadra as it was renovated on his directions and using his funds. It alleged that Vadraeven stayed there 'three-four times'. An officer cited above said 'this property has been sold by Bhandari, a sale he didn't disclose to the Income Tax department'. The middleman in defence deals is also under investigation since 2019 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on charges of corruption in a ₹2,985-crore deal in 2009 to procure 75 PC-7 trainer aircraft from Swiss plane maker Pilatus Aircraft. He fled from India in 2016 via Nepal and an Interpol red notice was issued against him in October 2017. The Indian government sent two extradition requests against the fugitive businessman, were certified by the then UK home secretary Priti Patel in June 2020, after which British authorities arrested him on July 15, 2020. A court however, released him on bail pending extradition proceedings. A Westminster Court subsequently ordered his extradition to India in November 2022 but he challenged this in the high court. The UK high court, on February 28 this year discharged him in the extradition request and an appeal filed by the Indian government against it was rejected on April 4. With the window to extradite him closing, ED has had him declared a fugitive economic offender so as to seize his properties.
