A newly built bridge over the Bakra river in Bihar’s Araria district partially collapsed on 18 June 2024 before it opened to traffic. Contemporary reports said there were no casualties. Officials had not established the technical cause in their immediate statements; suggestions about digging near pillars or heavy rain were reported possibilities, not findings.
What happened in the Araria bridge collapse?
A portion of the bridge collapsed in the Sikti area of Araria district, Bihar, on 18 June 2024. The bridge was intended to connect Kursa Kanta and Sikti. Reports placed it near Pararia village or Pararia Ghat; an Indian Express caption identified the site as Padkiya Ghat. The Indian Express described the structure as a 182-metre bridge over the Bakra river. (The Indian Express; India Today; The New Indian Express)
The bridge had not opened to public traffic. Contemporary reports said approach or service roads on both sides remained incomplete, and that no casualties were reported. (India Today; The New Indian Express)
What was the bridge project?
The Indian Express reported that the bridge was built under the PM Gramin Sadak scheme. Its account gave a construction cost of Rs 12 crore, compared with an initial estimate of Rs 7.79 crore, and said work began in April 2021 and was completed in June 2023. It also reported that the bridge had 16 pillars. These are figures reported by the newspaper, not independently audited project values. (The Indian Express)
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India Today and The New Indian Express also reported a cost of Rs 12 crore. A Times of India follow-up published on 19 June 2024 gave a different figure of Rs 10 crore; the available reports do not reconcile the discrepancy, so the amounts should be treated as attributed media reports rather than a settled official cost. (India Today; The New Indian Express; The Times of India)
Why did the bridge collapse?
The technical cause was not established in the immediate official account. Araria Superintendent of Police Amit Ranjan said, “A portion of a newly constructed bridge over Bakra river has collapsed. Officials have reached there to examine the matter.” India Today reported that Ranjan added that the cause was not yet known. The reviewed reporting does not identify a final technical investigation result. (India Today)
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- Digging near pillars: The Indian Express reported local authorities’ suspicion that recent digging intended to improve water flow near two pillars may have weakened them. This was a preliminary suspicion, not an engineering finding. (The Indian Express)
- Heavy rain upstream: The Times of India attributed to unnamed sources the possibility that heavy rain in Nepal’s upper catchment area may have contributed. This was reported speculation, not a verified cause. (The Times of India)
What accountability steps were reported?
The Indian Express reported that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sought an incident report. India Today quoted Union Minister Nitin Gadkari as saying the bridge was not built under the Central Road Transport Ministry and that the work came under Bihar’s Rural Development Ministry. (The Indian Express; India Today)
The Times of India reported that two engineers were suspended, a four-member inquiry team was formed, and a minister directed that an FIR be lodged against the contractor. Those reported administrative steps do not establish who was responsible or how the collapse occurred. Sikti MLA Vijay Kumar Mandal accused the contractor of negligence and demanded an investigation; that was an allegation, not a finding. (The Times of India; India Today)
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How does this compare with earlier Bakra river bridge failures?
The Times of India described the 2024 collapse as following reported collapses on the Bakra river in 2017 and 2020. Its account said 12 people fell into the river in the 2020 incident. That history provides local context, but it does not establish the cause of the 2024 collapse. (The Times of India)
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