Karnataka-Goa bridge across Kali river collapses in Uttar Kannada district

A major bridge across the Kali river near Karwar in Uttar Kannada district, which connects Karnataka with Goa, collapsed on Wednesday, reported The Hindu.

At around 1.50 am, a truck crossing the Kodibag bridge plunged into the river as the structure gave way. Local fishermen rescued the driver, 37-year-old Balu Murugan from Yashapatti town in Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu.

Murugan managed to save himself by breaking through the windscreen and clinging to the top of the submerged truck. He was taken to a hospital and is reported to be safe.

The Karwar police have registered cases against a company called IRB Infrastructure and the National Highways Authority of India in connection with the incident.

“The bridge, constructed 41 years ago, collapsed in three phases,” Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police Narayan M was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying. “The truck falling into the river marked the first phase, and the other two phases followed within next 10 minutes.”

The collapse led to severe traffic congestion on National Highway 66, which connects Goa with Karnataka, an official said, reported PTI.

Traffic on a new bridge, which runs parallel to the one that collapsed, was halted temporarily on Wednesday morning as the authorities assessed its stability in light of the accident, said Harish Raut Desai, in charge at Goa’s Canacona police station.

Later, the Karwar police said that vehicles, excluding heavy ones, were permitted to travel on the new bridge.

“I am somewhat comforted that the bridge collapsed at night,” Uttara Kannada MP Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying. “Otherwise, a significant disaster could have occurred.”

The incident follows a spate of bridge collapses in Bihar this monsoon. After 10 such incidents occurred in two weeks, the state government set up a high-level committee to investigate the matter.