Fourth Bridge Collapse in a Week in Bihar; Kishanganj Bridge Caves In Due to Heavy Rainfall

This incident adds to concerns about infrastructure quality in Bihar, following recent collapses in other districts.

Kishanganj: A bridge caved in at Kishanganj district on Thursday in the fourth incident of its kind in Bihar in just over a week, officials said. The bridge, situated in Bahadurganj block, was 70 meters long and 12 meters wide, District Magistrate Tushar Singla said.

"The bridge was built in 2011 over Madiya, a small tributary that connects the Kankai river to the Mahananda. Heavy rainfall in the catchment area in Nepal has led to a sudden rise in the water level. One of the pillars of the bridge could not withstand the strong current," he said.

No one was injured in the incident, he said. Barricading has been done at both ends of the bridge to prevent any type of movement while repair work was on, he added. Three incidents of bridge collapse were reported last week from Araria, Siwan and Araria districts.

In the last few years, a number of similar incidents have taken place in various parts of the state, and though no fatalities have been caused, these have led to questions being raised on the quality of public works in the state.