Bridge Collapses in Silchar-Kalain Road, Two Dumpers Fall Into Harang River; Locals Allege Corruption in Repairs

A major tragedy unfolded early Wednesday (June 18) morning when the recently repaired bridge over the Harang River at Bhangarpar, on the Silchar-Kalain road, collapsed at around 2 AM. Two stone-laden dumpers plunged into the river along with the bridge, triggering panic in the region. The incident comes barely a month after the bridge was reopened following repairs, raising serious questions about the quality of the maintenance work. After the closure of the Gammon Bridge, the Kalain route served as an alternative, but it now has a collapsed bridge.

In the immediate aftermath of the collapse, SDRF teams were deployed to the site and rescue operations commenced. Superintendent of Police, Cachar, Numal Mahatta, who visited the spot this morning, said, “Our teams reached here in no time and started a rescue operation. We are also identifying an alternative route for the time being. We found an adjacent road suitable for smaller private vehicles, ensuring students commuting to schools and colleges are not affected. We’re also taking precautions to avoid further accidents at the site and trying our best to ease public inconvenience.”

The collapse has completely disrupted road connectivity between Guwahati and Sribhumi, as the bridge served as a crucial diversion route. The main Katigorah Gammon Bridge on National Highway 6 is currently under repair, and all vehicular movement between Barak Valley and Tripura, Mizoram, is being routed through the Silchar-Kalain corridor.

A frustrated local expressed frustration over the poor condition of the roads and alleged corruption. “Around 1:30 AM, the bridge on the Silchar-Guwahati road at Bhangarpar collapsed. It had just reopened after undergoing repair in the last one year. Now it is completely broken. If a student is stranded or a patient in an ambulance is delayed, who takes responsibility?”

He further alleged that the repair was cosmetic and inadequate. “They just painted over the old problems to hide them. We tried to highlight the issue repeatedly, but we were threatened. PWD engineers and contractors used pressure tactics to complete the work with corrupt teams and substandard materials.”

The incident has sparked public outrage across the region, posing a major threat to the road connectivity of Barak Valley. Thankfully, there were no passenger cars or buses over the bridge when it collapsed.