Under-construction bridge collapses in Bihar's Gopalganj, three engineers suspended

Gopalganj, Mar 2 (PTI) The Bihar government has suspended three engineers and initiated proceedings against the contractor after a section of a small under-construction bridge over the Ghoghari river in Gopalganj district collapsed, officials said on Monday.

No one was injured in the incident, which took place on February 28.

The bridge, being constructed by the Rural Works Department (RWD) at a cost of Rs 2.87 crore, was scheduled for completion on March 6.

Following the collapse, the RWD suspended the executive engineer, assistant engineer and a junior engineer for dereliction of duty.

Proceedings have also been initiated to blacklist the contractor responsible for the construction.

Gopalganj district magistrate Pawan Kumar Sinha, who visited the spot on Monday, had ordered strict departmental action against the RWD engineers.

"Preliminary investigation revealed gross negligence on the part of the engineers. It has also been found that the contractor failed to follow the protocol pertaining to quality management used in the construction of the bridge," the DM told PTI on Monday.

Bihar had witnessed the collapse of over a dozen bridges, both big and small, across various districts in 2024, highlighting ongoing concerns over construction standards in the state. PTI PKD MNB