logo
Bhopal's bizarre bridge

Bhopal's bizarre bridge

Time of India27-06-2025
Have you ever seen a bridge take a sharp turn—like a perfect L-shape—right in the middle? That's what just happened in Bhopal!
Usually, builders—whether they're architects or engineers—love right angles. Walls meet floors at 90 degrees because it keeps buildings strong and safe. But roads and bridges are different. They like to flow smoothly, with gentle curves and turns. So, when people saw a brand-new bridge in Bhopal with a 90° bend, just before its grand opening on June 15, everyone was shocked.
People asked: Is this safe? Why is it like this? What were they thinking?!
But the people who designed and built the bridge didn't seem too bothered. In fact, it reminded many of another weird bridge in Mumbai that didn't even match up with the road it was supposed to connect to—it had a 6-foot gap!
Of course, the public panics, while the government often just says, 'No problem,' and throws more money and concrete at it.
Meanwhile, in Greece, there's a bridge built over 3,000 years ago that's still working! It once carried horse chariots and now handles cars. In India, we don't even dream of bridges lasting that long. We don't ask for something as beautiful as the Golden Gate Bridge—we just want our bridges to be safe, steady, and sensible.
But with stories like this, it feels more like a 'Believe It or Not' episode than a real-life city!
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author's own.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

He escaped a train wreck, a plane crash, a cliff fall and more, then won the lottery: The unbelievable life of Frano Selak
He escaped a train wreck, a plane crash, a cliff fall and more, then won the lottery: The unbelievable life of Frano Selak

Time of India

time18-07-2025

  • Time of India

He escaped a train wreck, a plane crash, a cliff fall and more, then won the lottery: The unbelievable life of Frano Selak

Frano Selak , a mild-mannered Croatian music teacher , never dreamt that his name would one day be whispered in awe across continents. Born in 1929 in a quiet corner of Croatia, Selak's life didn't begin with drama. But as fate would have it, his ordinary existence transformed into a bizarre series of brushes with death—each more unbelievable than the last. The first stroke of fate hit in 1962 when a train he was travelling in derailed and plunged into an icy river canyon. Seventeen passengers drowned, but Selak survived with a broken arm and hypothermia. The world might have already called that a miracle, but fate had only begun its strange game. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Operations Management Data Analytics Finance PGDM Design Thinking Data Science Management healthcare others Public Policy Digital Marketing CXO MCA Technology Leadership Artificial Intelligence Degree Healthcare Project Management Cybersecurity MBA Others Product Management Data Science Skills you'll gain: Quality Management & Lean Six Sigma Analytical Tools Supply Chain Management & Strategies Service Operations Management Duration: 10 Months IIM Lucknow IIML Executive Programme in Strategic Operations Management & Supply Chain Analytics Starts on Jan 27, 2024 Get Details Falling From the Sky Just a year later, in 1963, Selak boarded a plane for what would be his first and last flight. Mid-air, the plane's door malfunctioned and blew open. In a terrifying twist, Selak was ejected from the aircraft. Miraculously, he landed in a haystack—alive—while the plane crashed, killing 19 people. According to Ripley's Believe It or Not , this was just the beginning of his incredible saga. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is addicted. Undo In 1966, a bus he was travelling in careened off the road and into a river. Four lives were lost, but not Selak's. Once again, he swam to shore. By this point, his resilience seemed supernatural. — alphabravo1947 (@alphabravo1947) Fire, Flames, and Fortune The next decade brought fresh threats, this time on wheels. In 1970, his car engine caught fire while he was driving. He escaped just before it exploded. Three years later, another car spat flames through its air vents due to a malfunctioning fuel pump. He lost his hair but not his life. By 1995, Selak had survived five major accidents. But destiny wasn't done. That year, a city bus hit him in Zagreb. He walked away. The following year, while swerving to avoid a UN truck, his car plunged off a cliff. Selak, unbelted, was thrown from the vehicle and managed to grab a tree branch. Below him, his car exploded 300 feet down. Once again, he lived. From Cursed to Blessed After what many would call a cursed life, Selak's fate took an unexpected turn. In 2003, just two days after his 73rd birthday, he won €900,000 in the lottery. He bought a house, a boat, and married for the fifth time. But in 2010, he gave away most of his fortune to family and chose to return to a simpler life. While Selak's tales have not been independently verified and some details remain inconsistent, his legend endures. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 87, but his story continues to intrigue and inspire. A Life Too Strange for Fiction Was Frano Selak truly the world's luckiest man—or simply the most accident-prone with divine protection? Perhaps he was both. His life raises the age-old question: is it luck to have faced death so often, or to have survived it every single time? Whether fact, fiction, or a bit of both, Selak's extraordinary tale remains one of the most sensational and emotionally charged human stories of survival the world has ever known.

Darth Vader's lightsaber from original Star Wars trilogy to be auctioned off — expected to rake in up to $3 million
Darth Vader's lightsaber from original Star Wars trilogy to be auctioned off — expected to rake in up to $3 million

New York Post

time16-07-2025

  • New York Post

Darth Vader's lightsaber from original Star Wars trilogy to be auctioned off — expected to rake in up to $3 million

May the force — and fortunes — be with you. The lightsaber used by Darth Vader during the latter two films of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy will be auctioned off alongside a slew of other memorabilia from the franchise and is expected to rake in millions, according to a report. The hilt of the primary dueling lightsaber used by masked villian during 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' will go on the market at Los Angeles' Propstore in September and is predicted to sell for anywhere between $1 million and $3 million. Advertisement 3 The lightsaber used by Darth Vader during the final two installments of the original trilogy will be auctioned off. Propstore The prop hilt is believed to be the first of its kind to go on the market, as no other lightsabers from the original trilogy ever went to private buyers. They were instead cycled through museums, with Luke Skywalker's lightsabe from 'The Empire Strikes Back' residing with Ripley's Believe It or Not. 'Surviving genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy of films are exceedingly rare, and Propstore is honored to present this historic artifact in our September sale. It is a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world,' Propstore COO Brandon Alinger told The Hollywood Reporter. Advertisement Starting in August, the prop will have its own press circuit from London to New York before finally parking in Beverly Hills, where it'll be sold to the highest bidder. The auction coincidies with the 45th anniversary of 'The Empire Strikes Back.' 3 The prop is expected to sell for $1 million to $3 million. ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection The same tour will feature other famed props from acclaimed classics, including the bullwhip and belt worn by Harrison Ford in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' and a hero close-up neuralyzer, or pen-like object that wipes minds, from 'Men in Black.' Advertisement Propstore features a long lineup of other relics from classic franchises, including more from 'Star Wars' like gifts given to crew members after the films wrapped and a replica of the lightsaber used by Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi Master played by Liam Neeson, in the prequels. 3 The lightsaber will be brought to New York in August on a press circuit. AP Darth Vader's dueling lightsaber was held on-screen by the late David Prowse, the physical actor for the Sith Lord, and stunt double Bob Anderson. The fallen Jedi was voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones. Advertisement In 2022, the gun used by Han Solo, played by Ford, in 'A New Hope' sold for $1 million. It is only one of three surviving models from the trilogy. In June 2024, a toy figurine of bounty hunter Boba Fett from the 1970s sold for a staggering $525,000.

Bhopal's bizarre bridge
Bhopal's bizarre bridge

Time of India

time27-06-2025

  • Time of India

Bhopal's bizarre bridge

Have you ever seen a bridge take a sharp turn—like a perfect L-shape—right in the middle? That's what just happened in Bhopal! Usually, builders—whether they're architects or engineers—love right angles. Walls meet floors at 90 degrees because it keeps buildings strong and safe. But roads and bridges are different. They like to flow smoothly, with gentle curves and turns. So, when people saw a brand-new bridge in Bhopal with a 90° bend, just before its grand opening on June 15, everyone was shocked. People asked: Is this safe? Why is it like this? What were they thinking?! But the people who designed and built the bridge didn't seem too bothered. In fact, it reminded many of another weird bridge in Mumbai that didn't even match up with the road it was supposed to connect to—it had a 6-foot gap! Of course, the public panics, while the government often just says, 'No problem,' and throws more money and concrete at it. Meanwhile, in Greece, there's a bridge built over 3,000 years ago that's still working! It once carried horse chariots and now handles cars. In India, we don't even dream of bridges lasting that long. We don't ask for something as beautiful as the Golden Gate Bridge—we just want our bridges to be safe, steady, and sensible. But with stories like this, it feels more like a 'Believe It or Not' episode than a real-life city! Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store