The rescue and relief efforts at the site of the Gambhira bridge collapse in Vadodara are in their final phase, with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) aiming to wrap up the operation by this afternoon, officials said on Thursday.
NDRF Commandant Surinder Singh confirmed that two teams and one sub-team have been deployed at the site since Wednesday morning to carry out rescue efforts following the tragic collapse of a bridge section into the Mahisagar River.
“Yesterday around 9 AM, the district administration informed us and requested one NDRF team. We assessed the situation and realised one team was insufficient, so we deployed an additional team and a sub-team. As of now, 13 bodies and 5 live victims have been retrieved,” said Singh.
He added that the top priority remains locating any remaining victims and ensuring the area is thoroughly checked before concluding the operation.
A portion of the bridge connecting Vadodara to Anand collapsed on Wednesday, plunging several vehicles into the river below. Since then, relief and rescue operations have continued round the clock, with the Vadodara District Collector Anil Dhameliya regularly visiting the site to monitor progress.
In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has also extended ₹4 lakh compensation to the bereaved families and ₹50,000 for those injured in the incident.
Efforts remain focused on completing the operation safely and swiftly, with hopes that all affected individuals will be accounted for by the end of the day.
