Silchar: A decades-old bridge on the Silchar-Kalain Road in Assam’s Cachar district collapsed on Wednesday, sending two overloaded trucks plunging into the Harang River and leaving both drivers injured, officials said.
The bridge, a crucial link connecting Assam with Meghalaya, had reopened just last month following nearly two years of repair work.
District Commissioner Mridul Yadav has ordered an inquiry into the incident, emphasising that restrictions were in place to monitor vehicle loads.
“There were four checkpoints set up to prevent overloaded vehicles from crossing the bridge,” Yadav stated.
Senior Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta confirmed that the injured drivers are undergoing treatment and added that an investigation is underway to identify lapses that led to the collapse.
The incident has severely disrupted daily life for residents and schoolchildren who rely on the bridge for access.
Authorities have deployed boats to facilitate river crossings in the interim.
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Locals, however, have alleged that substandard materials used during the repair contributed to the collapse.
“Poor-quality construction is to blame for this tragedy,” a resident claimed.
Countering the accusations, Zilla Parishad member Farida Parvin Laskar pointed to the trucks’ excessive loads.
“The bridge was designed to carry a maximum of 40 tons, but these trucks were transporting 120 to 130 tons of stones,” she said.
