The bridge under construction over the Kali river at Kodibag connecting Karnataka and Goa in Karwar of Uttara Kannada district collapsed at about 2 am this Wednesday. The bridge that was built forty one years back gave way in a step by step manner where a truck from Tamil Nadu fell into the river and the further portions succumbed within the next ten minutes stated, Narayan M, the Superintendent of Police, Uttara Kannada.
The Indian truck driver, 37 years, Balu Murugan from Yashapatti town of Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu was rescued and immediately admitted in the hospital. The concerned truck had registration number TN 36-B 9997 and it belongs to SSM Transport Company, Tamil Nadu and was on its way back after supplying goods to Goa. Murugan was to kick the windshield and get on to the engine and attract the trunk of the beat police by shouting for help and Murugan had to break the windshield and climb on to the engine. Police with the help of Coast Guard personnel rescued him from the truck and shifted to the government hospital in Karwar.
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After the mishap, movement on another newly build low rise bridge across the similar river over the Karwar Sadashivagad was suspended from Wednesday morning. It has not influenced much on the movement within the district or with Goa since there are other roads that can be taken. Police personnel have been sent to patrol all the bridges in the entire district to avoid heavy traffic jam and sad events as a result of exerting a lot of pressure on the bridges. Currently, the traffic on the bridges is regulated and arranged by allowing few vehicles on instance.
The truck driver handing his side of the story to the authorities said that there were no other vehicles on the bridge when it collapsed. Police and coast guard teams scoured approximately 10 km of the river below and the teams did not discover any more cars or people in the river.
Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner Lakshmi Priya, who visited the site, ordered the cessation of vehicle movement on the newly constructed bridge and requested a report on its stability. She instructed the regional officer of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in Bengaluru and the project director of NHAI in Honnavar to inspect and report on the current condition and stability of the newly constructed bridge over the Kali River. She also informed that driver Murugan has recovered and will be sent home when ready. Although rainfall has decreased compared to the previous week, the Kali river remains swollen, and the district administration is prepared for potential floods.
The Karwar town police have suo motu registered cases against IRB Infrastructure and NHAI. Lakshmi Priya stated that IRB failed to halt traffic on the bridge despite instructions. Uttara Kannada MP Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri expressed relief that the bridge collapsed at night, averting a significant disaster.
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