CANACONA
Three spans of the old bridge on the Kali River along the NH66 highway connecting Goa and Karnataka collapsed early Wednesday morning. A Tamil Nadu-registered truck travelling on the bridge fell into the river, but the driver was rescued.
The collapse has severely affected the movement of heavy traffic between Goa and Karnataka. With the construction of a new bridge a decade ago, both the old and new bridges were used for one-way traffic; the old bridge for traffic from Goa to Karwar and the new bridge for traffic from Karwar to Goa.
At around 12:50 am, a Tamil Nadu truck returning to Hubli after delivering coal in Goa was crossing the old bridge when three spans suddenly gave way, causing the truck to fall into the river. Residents near the river heard the collapse and alerted authorities. Highway police and Disaster Management Teams responded promptly.
In the darkness, people heard cries for help and saw the truck in the river. Fire and Emergency Services (FES) personnel, along with local fishermen, rescued the driver, identified as 37-year-old Bala Murugan from Tamil Nadu. Murugan had managed to break the front glass of the truck and climb atop the cabin, shouting for help. He confirmed to the police that he was driving alone and saw no other vehicles when the spans collapsed.
Murugan was admitted to the Karwar Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital and is out of danger. The district administration confirmed no fatalities occurred due to the collapse. Uttara Kannada District Magistrate Lakshmipriya K invoked sections 33 and 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and ordered a stability check of the new bridge to prevent further incidents.
Traffic was immediately disrupted, with movement of heavy vehicles and four-wheelers halted on the new bridge out of fear of potential damage. Initially, only two-wheelers were allowed, but they were also stopped later for a stability inspection, causing a significant traffic jam. Traffic on the NH66 highway along the Goa-Karnataka route was severely affected. Police halted traffic on the southern side of the Kali bridge at Kalli and on the northern side at Loliem-Polem, with Canacona police assisting.
Following stability tests, two-wheeler traffic was permitted on the new Kali bridge, and four-wheelers and light vehicles were allowed by 4 pm on Wednesday. Heavy traffic was diverted via the Malapur-Kadra road as the Kali River bridge remained closed for heavy vehicles.
