Newly constructed bridge snaps into two before it could be opened for public

A portion of a bridge constructed over six years at a cost of around £1.3 million in the Indian state of Bihar collapsed before it could be formally opened for public use.

A part of the bridge built on the Burhi Gandak river in the state's Begusarai district came crashing down on Sunday morning. Fortunately, no loss of life was reported since there was no one on the bridge at the time of the incident.

The local administration barred people from travelling through it last Thursday after they spotted cracks between two of its pillars.

According to a report in The Times of India, a special technical team even inspected the bridge on Saturday, but it snapped and fell into the water before any corrective measures could be taken. Meanwhile, an inquiry has been ordered into the collapse.

"The bridge was temporarily shut for use. We're assessing the reason behind the bridge collapse... Whether it is a technical flaw or otherwise, we are examining it," senior district officer Roshan Kushwaha, told NDTV. "Thankfully, nobody suffered physical harm when the huge chunk fell into the river," he added.

The locals were eagerly waiting for the bridge to open as it would have been very convenient for them. They will now have to take a boat ride to cross to the other side or take a longer route through the adjoining district.

Such incidents have become common in Bihar. In November, a man lost his life after an under-construction bridge collapsed in the state's Nalanda district. Earlier this year, 10 people sustained injuries after another under-construction bridge came crashing down in the Katihar district of the state.

The latest incident comes two months after more than 130 people lost their lives in a bridge collapse in the Indian state of Gujarat. The bridge in the Morbi district crashed days after it was reopened for the public following repair work.