Assam bridge collapse: 5 arrested, action taken against cops; magisterial probe ordered
Assam bridge collapse: Five people have been arrested and disciplinary action has been initiated against three police personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector, in connection with a bridge collapse incident in Assam’s Cachar district, a senior police officer said.
The newly repaired bridge over the Harang River on the Silchar-Kalain Road collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday when two overloaded trucks were passing through it, violating weight restrictions.
Though there were no casualties, the incident disrupted road connectivity between Assam’s Barak Valley and neighbouring states – Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur – via Meghalaya.
Locals alleged that the trucks exceeded the permissible weight limit and that police officials were complicit in allowing the overloaded vehicles to pass.
Cachar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Numal Mahatta said that preliminary evidence suggests the collapse was triggered by an accident involving one of the trucks.
“It was raining heavily, and one of the trucks, likely speeding, hit a portion of the bridge while crossing. We are investigating the matter, and action has been taken against three police personnel for allowing the trucks through the checkpoint,” Mahatta said.
Assam bridge collapse: The incident has massively impacted local transportation, as the police, along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), have begun operating boat services to assist residents.
Assam minister Kaushik Rai has ordered a high-level probe and directed officials to submit a detailed report on priority.
“I inspected the site and have ordered an investigation. Boat services have been arranged for residents, and alternate routes have been opened for light vehicles,” Rai said.
Cachar district magistrate Mridul Yadav said two alternate routes have been arranged for light vehicles from Barak Valley and neighbouring states.
“It is not true that Barak Valley has been cut off from the rest of the country. We’ve arranged alternate routes for the movement of light vehicles,” he said.
Yadav also announced that a new bridge will be installed over the river using pre-fabricated materials sourced from Patna.
“It’s a ready-to-install Bailey bridge. The materials will take five days to reach, and installation will take another 10 days. We expect normal traffic to resume in 15 days,” he said.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed, and the police have arrested five people: Nizam Uddin Barbhuiya, Kripashindu Baishnab, Altaf Hussain Barbhuiya, Sankhu Bhattacharjee, and Gautam Chandra Paul.
Three of the arrested individuals are employees of the Central Weighbridge, an Assam government-approved facility, while two are staffers of Bharat Electronics Weighbridge, a Haryana-based construction firm.
Assam bridge collapse: Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal and former Silchar MP Sushmita Dev alleged that a syndicate engaged in the illegal transportation of limestone and other materials from Barak Valley is behind the incident.
“The bridge collapsed just weeks after repairs, despite crores being spent. The trucks were overloaded, and yet they passed through multiple checkpoints. I believe a major conspiracy is at play, and big names in the government are involved,” Dev said.
She also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said, “When a bridge collapses in West Bengal, the PM calls it an ‘act of fraud.’ But now that a similar incident has occurred in BJP-ruled Assam, he is silent.”
