A Bailey bridge with a truck carrying tree trunks collapsed in the canal at Louhajanj in Munshiganj district. The accident took place on Munshiganj-Tongibari-Mawa road in Gholtali area of Gaodia union of the upazila on Friday. Since the incident, the communication system of the main road of the district has been closed. Passengers and drivers traveling on this road have suffered due to the sudden closure of this road. However, the bridge will be repaired soon, said an official of the local roads and highways department. Meanwhile, sub-divisional engineer of Munshiganj Roads and Highways Department Fahim Rahman has filed a case against the truck involved in the accident.
Inspecting the scene, it can be seen that the Ghaultali Bailey Bridge is now in a dilapidated condition. The truck is still lying in the canal. Traffic on the Tongibari-Louhjong road in Munshiganj has been disrupted due to the collapse of this important bridge in Louhjong upazila. The bridge collapsed on the way to Mawa from Tongibari at around 1.30 pm on Friday. The truck driver and helper got injured in the accident and have been admitted to the hospital. Passengers are suffering due to the closure of road communication.
Locals and eyewitnesses said that on Friday midnight, they heard a loud noise. As locals approached Gholtali Bazaar, they saw a large truck loaded with tree trunks drowning into the canal water along with the bridge. The truck was heading towards Mawa from Baligaon with a tree stump. The driver of the vehicle and his assistant were immediately rescued and treated locally.
It was seen on the spot on Saturday morning that the bridge had broken in the middle and was sunken into the water. The truck carrying the tree has sunk. Passengers and drivers from both sides of the road are returning as the road is isolated.
Tajul Islam, a resident of Gholtali village, said the bridge was already narrow and flashy. If a car got on the bridge, another car had to wait at the other end of the bridge. The bridge kept shaking as soon as the car got on the bridge. There was already a fear of a major accident. Eventually the bridge collapsed.
Srinagar Fire Station Officer Dewan Azad said, "I went to the spot around 2 am after getting the news of the collapse of the Bailey Bridge. There were no casualties. The bridge collapsed mainly due to dilapidation and excessive carrying of vehicles.”
Locals also said that it is the main road for the people of Munshiganj-Tongibari-Louhjong upazila. Apart from the people of the three upazilas, passengers from Munshiganj and Narayanganj in the south-western part of the country also use this route to travel through Shimulia Ghat in Lohajang. Half a million people from three upazilas of the district use this route every day. Rebuilding the Bailey bridge here could lead to another major accident. So it is necessary to build a paved bridge here quickly to avoid human suffering and accidents.
Louhjong Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abdul Awal said the truck was heading towards Louhjong from Baligaon. The truck driver and his assistant escaped from the hospital. It is being investigated whether the bridge is broken due to excess weight. Tenders will be invited for the concrete bridge.
Munshiganj Roads and Towns (RHD) Department Executive Engineer Dewan Abul Qasim. Nahin Reza said the people concerned have been informed to rescue the truck and rebuild the Bailey Bridge. But soon the Bailey Bridge will be removed and a concrete bridge will be built there. That is why the bridges are in the dilapidated bridge project.
Munshiganj Roads and Highways Department sub-divisional engineer Fahim Rahman said it would take at least 10 days to repair the 38-meter section of the collapsed Bailey Bridge. He added that the 64-meter-long Ghaultali Bailey Bridge was supposed to carry a maximum of 5 tonnes of vehicles, but more than 30 tonnes of timber-laden trucks broke down due to the shore.