Team Herald
CANACONA: Major tragedy was averted as a section of old bridge on Kali river at Sadashivgarh, Karwar, collapsed on Friday. The bridge, which connects Goa and Karwar on the National Highway 66, was not in use and repairs were underway.
This is the second incident of collapse of the bridge. It had collapsed in August last year when a loaded truck travelling from Goa to Kerala was crossing over it. The truck driver Bala Murugan (37) from Tamil Nadu was injured and was rescued by the Karwar fire personnel and Coastal Police, with the help of local fishermen. Murugan managed to escape by breaking the windshield and standing on the cabin, cried for help.
The District Magistrate had instructed the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to assess the stability of the new bridge before resuming traffic flow. The NHAI officials in Bengaluru and Honnavara were directed to coordinate the inspection and submit a report.