The Kodibag bridge across the Kali river, connecting the states of Karnataka and Goa in the Karwar region of Uttara Kannada district, collapsed at about 2 am on Wednesday, Uttara Kannada superintendent of police Narayan M said adding that the driver of a Tamil Nadu-based truck that fell into the river while it was crossing the bridge, was rescued.
The bridge across the Kali River collpases near Karwar in Uttara Kannada district on Wednesday. (PTI)
“The bridge, constructed 41 years ago, collapsed in three phases. The truck falling into the river marked the first phase, and the other two phases followed within next 10 minutes,” Narayan said.
He said that the driver, 37-year-old Balu Murugan from Yashapatti town in Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu, was rushed to the hospital. The truck, bearing number TN 36-B 9997, is owned by the Tamil Nadu-based SSM Transport Company and was returning after delivering goods in Goa.
Narayan said: “The river was flowing about 10 feet below the bridge. Driver Murugan broke open the windshield of the vehicle, climbed onto the engine, and attracted the attention of the beat police by shouting for help. Police, with the help of coast guard personnel, managed to extract him from the truck and admitted him to the government hospital in Karwar.”
Following the incident, traffic on another newly constructed low-level bridge over the same river, linking Karwar and Sadashivagad in Uttara Kannada district, was halted from Wednesday morning. “The incident has not significantly affected traffic within the district or with Goa, as there are alternative routes available,” the SP said.
He added that police personnel have been deployed to monitor traffic on all the bridges across the district to prevent heavy congestion that might cause another disaster due to excessive load on the bridges. “Traffic on the bridges is being controlled by limiting the number of vehicles allowed at a time,” he stated.
The truck driver’s informed the officials that there were no other vehicles on the bridge at the time of the collapse. However, the police and coast guard teams conducted a thorough search of about 10 kilometres downstream and found no evidence of additional vehicles or people in the river. “We checked thoroughly and found no other vehicles or individuals in the river,” SP Narayan confirmed.
Uttara Kannada deputy commissioner Lakshmi Priya, who visited the site, ordered the cessation of vehicle movement on the newly constructed bridge as well and requested a report on its stability. “I have instructed the regional officer of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in Bengaluru and the project director of NHAI in Honnavar to inspect and report on the current condition and stability of the newly constructed bridge over the Kali River,” she said
She also informed that driver Murugan has recovered and will be sent home whenever he is ready. She added that although rainfall has decreased compared to the previous week, the Kali river remains swollen, and the district administration is prepared for potential floods.
The Karwar town police have suo motu registered cases against IRB Infrastructure and NHAI. Lakshmi Priya said that the IRB, despite instructions, failed to halt traffic on the bridge. “The Karwar police have filed suo motu cases against IRB due to negligence,” the deputy commissioner remarked.
Uttara Kannada MP Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri said, “I am somewhat comforted that the bridge collapsed at night; otherwise, a significant disaster could have occurred.”
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