Seven workers injured as beam launcher collapses during bridge construction in Bihar’s Vaishali

On Thursday, an under-construction bridge in Bihar's Vaishali district collapsed, injuring seven workers. Superintendent of Police Shubhank Mishra reported that three injured were transported to Sadar Hospital, with no fatalities yet confirmed. The incident occurred during the bridge's construction for the Bharatmala project. Four workers sustained minor injuries, believed to be caused by a technical fault during material loading with a girder launcher.

The precise cause of the collapse will be determined following a thorough investigation. One laborer's leg was crushed, requiring the use of machinery to free him. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav criticized the state government, blaming substandard construction materials, inadequate safety audits, and corruption among NDA leaders for the recurring bridge collapses.

This accident follows another bridge failure on May 4, when a section of the Vikramshila Bridge over the Ganga caved in, connecting Bhagalpur and Mavgachhia, and Seemanchal and the Kosi belt. In 2024, ten bridges collapsed within two weeks, prompting the government to suspend 15 engineers from related departments for negligence.