They Thought It Was Just Surface Damage Until They Checked The Next Pillar…

On what began as a typical Wednesday morning in Vadodara, a bustling city in India’s western Gujarat state, life was abruptly shattered by a tragedy that many believe could have been prevented.

Around 7:30 a.m., with steady rain still falling after days of relentless monsoon downpours, disaster struck. Without warning, a section of a busy bridge gave way, sending chunks of concrete and twisted steel crashing into the swollen river below. In an instant, cars, motorbikes, and their passengers were hurled into the water.

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel confirmed that several vehicles were on the bridge at the moment of collapse. Five people were pulled from the river alive, their rescue a small ray of hope amid the unfolding catastrophe.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene, battling the currents and treacherous debris to reach survivors. But for many families gathered on the riverbank, hope was slipping away. The air was heavy with the sound of grief—sorrowful cries piercing through the rain—as loved ones clutched photographs, desperately scanning the wreckage for any sign of life.

The bridge, once a symbol of connection in the city, now lay in ruins—a stark reminder of the human cost of infrastructure neglect.