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New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Gujarat's Gambhira Bridge collapse: Tanker removed after 27 Days, death toll rises to 22
AHMEDABAD: In a grim reminder of Gujarat's worst infrastructure collapse in recent years, the chemical tanker that had been precariously hanging off the shattered Gambhira Bridge for 27 days was finally removed on Tuesday. This was just hours before the death toll climbed to 22, following the passing of another injured victim. The complex rescue and recovery operation, led by a private Porbandar-based emergency response unit, marks a critical point in the ongoing tragedy that began on July 9, when the bridge crumbled and multiple vehicles and passengers plunged into the river below. The Gambhira Bridge disaster, which had already claimed 21 lives, saw another fatality with the death of Dilip Padhiyar, who was undergoing treatment at Sayaji Hospital after suffering critical injuries in the collapse. Padhiyar, who had sustained serious fractures in his right hand and left leg, remained in the ICU for nearly four weeks before succumbing on Tuesday. With his death, the official toll now stands at 22, while one person Vikramsinh Padhiyar, remains untraceable.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Removal of dangling tanker to take 3 days
Vadodara: The final countdown for the removal of the tanker — precariously perched on the broken slab of the Gambhira bridge over the Mahi river — began on Monday morning, 27 days after the bridge collapsed, killing 21 people. Large numbers of police personnel were deployed on roads leading to the bridge on Monday. The operation to salvage the tanker using high-pressure air bags was launched on Friday, after a 50-member team from Porbandar-based Marine Emergency Response Centre (MERC) arrived in Anand district. Anand collector Praveen Chaudhary said that the operation is expected to be completed in two or three days. "The agency that has the expertise for this operation has set up its field headquarters 900 metres away from the bridge, from where the operation will be managed. The agency will use sophisticated techniques and specialized equipment to extricate the truck," he said, adding that CCTV cameras have also been placed at several locations to monitor movements at the site. All human movement on the stretch has been halted. "The truck will be safely removed using equipment such as high-pressure pneumatic bags, a hydraulic strand jack and engineered cantilevers. The operation will be carried out to ensure no harm comes to people or the bridge structure," Chaudhary said, adding that ample precautions are being taken as the structural stability of the bridge is compromised. On Monday, marine air bags (pneumatic roller bags, sometimes called balloons), which are typically used to launch ships and lift vessels in shallow water, were placed near the tanker. These bags will be inflated under the truck to lift it from its current position, which is tilted towards the river 50 feet below. The cantilevers will be used to align the vehicle with the bridge, and a strand jack will be used to pull the truck out.
Indian Express
02-08-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Why ship-launching equipment is being deployed to remove tanker dangling on Vadodara bridge 3 weeks after collapse that killed 21
For the last three weeks, a chemical tanker has been precariously dangling on a fragment of the collapsed section of Mujpur-Gambhira bridge in Vadodara – a grim reminder of the tragedy that left 21 people, a number of them on their way to work, dead on July 9. On Friday night, though, work began to remove the heavy vehicle from the accident site. Given the vulnerable state of the bridge, the authorities have sought help from a Porbandar-based marine salvage firm in this regard. Closely associated with the Indian Coast Guard, the company is planning to deploy equipment used for ship launching and lifting vessels in shallow water for inspection. Officials said the equipment, including pneumatic roller bags, hydraulic strand jacks and horizontal cantilevers, will be deployed at a distance from the site given that the 'strength and stability' of the entire bridge structure is compromised. The task is going to take a few more days, authorities in Anand said, expressing hope that the tanker will be retrieved and handed over to its owner by next week, on Thursday. Anand District Collector Praveen Chaudhary told The Indian Express that a company called Marine Emergency Response Centre, Vishwakarma, has been roped in to assist in salvaging the tanker, which has been leaning over a 50-metre drop from the slab level of the remaining structure of the bridge. Experts from the company that arrived in Anand district on Friday, began preparing to install salvage equipment to be able to pull out the tanker from the bridge, said officials. Chaudhary said, 'The company has explained to us that it will deploy pneumatic roller bags (marine airbags), which are used for ship launching and lifting vessels in shallow water for inspection. The experts will place the heavy duty rubber bags under the truck to lift it up from its current tilting position. An engineered horizontal cantilever will be used to steer the vehicle in alignment to the bridge and a horizontal driven strand jack will be used for the calibrated pulling of the truck from the spot…' Officials said the tanker, which was being used to transport Hydrochloric Acid, had been left untouched so far since rescue operations were underway under the collapsed segment. The contents of the vehicle, though, had been emptied out. Following several petitions by the owner of the vehicle, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, earlier this week, had ordered the administration to retrieve the vehicle and hand it over to the owner. Meanwhile, a Special investigation Team (SIT) of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has been formed to probe the assets of the four engineers of the Roads & Buildings (R&B) department as well as a retired official, who were suspended following the collapse of the Mujpur-Gambhira bridge on July 9. The SIT will include Joint Director Makrand Chauhan, Deputy Director, ACB, PH Bhesania as well as four police inspectors of the anti-graft agency. As many as 21 persons were killed when the bridge collapsed on the morning of July 9. A segment of the bridge fell into the Mahisagar river, taking down two trucks, as many pick-up vans, an auto-rickshaw and at least three motorcycles with it. Of the 21 deceased persons, bodies of only 20 were recovered by teams of the fire department as well as SDRF and NDRF while one body is yet to be found. Three persons survived the incident with injuries.
Time of India
01-08-2025
- General
- Time of India
23 days later, tanker still hangs on Mahi bridge
Vadodara: Twenty-three days after the Gambhira bridge over the Mahi river collapsed, killing 21 people, the tanker precariously hanging off the broken slab is about to be extricated, with its front to be lifted with high-pressure air bags. On Friday, the operation to salvage the tanker was launched. After directives from chief minister Bhupendra Patel, the Anand district administration roped in the Porbandar-based Marine Emergency Response Centre (MERC), which in turn called in experts from Singapore. MERC was recently engaged by the Coast Guard to salvage the Singapore-flagged container vessel Wan Hai 503, which had caught fire off the coast of Kozhikode in Kerala on June 8 while en route from Colombo to Mumbai with more than 800 tonnes of a hazardous mix of industrial chemicals. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad "A team of 20 from MERC is camping in Bamangam for the operation, which is expected to take a couple of days," said Anand district collector Praveen Chaudhary. "MERC has expertise in salvaging cargo ships, with the weights involved being over 500 tonnes. It will use balloon technology to salvage the 12-tonne tanker," he said. Flexible high-pressure airbags will be positioned under the tanker and inflated to lift the front of the vehicle, which has been dangling dangerously facing the river 50 feet below. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like NRIs Living In Ukraine Are Eligible For INR 2 Lakh Monthly Pension. Invest 18K/Month Get Offer Undo "On Friday, the MERC team finished rigging work on the broken slab," said Chaudhary. Sources said the CM has emphasized that the operation be carried out with "zero incident". They added that MERC is carrying out this operation pro bono. Officials said that in the final stage, there will be no human movement on the bridge structure, for which the entire site has been cordoned off. On why the tanker is not pulled out, Chaudhary said it was simply not an option. "From an engineering point of view, Pier 5 on which the tanker is stationed is cantilevered, which means it is a rigid structure that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. The work is tricky as Pier 5 is not taking the load and the tanker is tilted towards the river," he said. The tanker, which had been carrying hydrochloric acid, was emptied in Ahmedabad and was headed back to Dahej for a refill. When the bridge collapsed, the tanker driver jumped out and managed to clamber onto a stable part of the bridge. He saw many vehicles and people plunging into the river. The tanker belongs to Shivam Roadlines in Ankleshwar. Its owner has made representations for speedy recovery of his vehicle, for which he pays a monthly EMI of about Rs 1 lakh. "I have spoken to the state-level bankers committee requesting that his EMIs be deferred for four months," said Chaudhary.
