Local residents rescue people from vehicles stranded on a collapsed bridge near Malanka in Junagadh on Sunday. (Express) Local residents rescue people from vehicles stranded on a collapsed bridge near Malanka in Junagadh on Sunday. (Express)

Seven persons were injured after a 60-feet-long bridge over Madhuvanti river collapsed near Malanka village, in Mendarda taluka of Junagadh district, late Sunday evening. Following the accident, vehicular traffic on Mendarda-Sasan state highway was disrupted.

The bridge gave in from the middle at around 6 pm. Three cars, which were passing over the bridge, also fell with the debris, injuring seven persons. Those trapped in the stranded vehicles were rescued by locals and rushed to hospitals in Junagadh.

Two cars and three two-wheelers were stuck under the crashed slabs of the bridge and were later pulled out of the debris.

Officers said the bridge upstream the Madhuvanti dam, was around four decades old. Stretches of the road, which leads to Sasan — a popular tourist hub in Gir forest — were widened in 2017-’18. However, the bridge was not widened nor a new one was constructed in its place.

Following the collapse of the bridge near Malanka, vehicular traffic had to be diverted on alternate routes. No diversion at the place of the collapsed bridge was created till Monday evening.

(With PTI)

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