Four engineers suspended: Gujarat CM acts tough after Mahisagar bridge collapse

A day after a bridge collapsed over the Mahisagar river in Vadodara, killing at least 16 people and leaving several others missing, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday suspended four engineers from the state's Roads and Buildings Department.

The suspension follows an internal report ordered by the CM-who also oversees the department-into the bridge's maintenance, repairs, and inspection records. A government statement said the action was based on findings related to lapses in inspection and structural oversight.

The officers suspended with immediate effect are Executive Engineer NM Nayakawala, Deputy Executive Engineers UC Patel and RT Patel, and Assistant Engineer JV Shah. The government release added that Chief Minister Patel has instructed officials to carry out immediate and intensive inspections of other bridges across the state.

The accident occurred on Wednesday morning near Gambhira village close to Padra town, when a portion of the four-decade-old bridge—linking Anand and Vadodara districts—collapsed, causing several vehicles to plunge into the Mahisagar river.

Vadodara Superintendent of Police Rohan Anand said, “So far, 16 bodies have been recovered, while three to four persons are still missing. The search and rescue operation is still on.”

Earlier, Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya confirmed that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams had been deployed to search for survivors and retrieve the bodies of those who drowned.

The incident has raised serious questions about infrastructure safety and the structural health of ageing bridges in Gujarat. Wednesday’s collapse comes amid heavy monsoon activity in the region, but details on whether weather played a direct role are still under examination.