Key points
- 441 people had received injuries during the period
- 48 bridge collapses recorded in India in 2024
- Most bridge collapses between 2021 and 2025: Report
ISLAMABAD: The infrastructure crisis has claimed 202 lives and injured 441 people across 170 bridge collapses between 2021 and 2025 in India, according to a report of Newslaundry.
But official figures tell a different story as India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) reported only 42 collapses between 2019 and 2024. However, media reports suggest that 2024 alone saw 48 collapses, more than the ministry’s five-year count.
Bihar, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh reported the most bridge collapses between 2021 and 2025, with 26, 25, and 17 incidents, respectively.
They were followed by Gujarat (16), Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) (14), Madhya Pradesh (12), Uttar Pradesh (8), Karnataka (6), and Kerala and Sikkim with five each, according to the report of Newslaundry.
Bihar leads tally
Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu recorded four incidents, while Odisha and Haryana had three. Tripura, Assam, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh each reported two collapses. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, and Delhi also reported one collapse each.
Bihar leads the tally, with 15 collapses in just 2024 alone, as per media reports. Alarmed by frequent bridge collapses in Bihar, Advocate Brijesh Singh approached the Supreme Court in India, which criticised the state’s explanation as a vague list of schemes and policies without addressing causes, local media reported.
2022 Morbi collapse
Uttarakhand reported 25 bridge collapses since 2021, with 21 in 2021 alone. A Bailey bridge collapse in Chamoli district in June 2024 cut off access for over 4,000 residents, prompting suspensions and a promise of accountability from the Chief Minister.
Closely following behind was Gujarat, which reported 16 collapses over four years, including five in 2024 alone, leading to 157 deaths and 178 injuries. The 2022 Morbi collapse, which killed 135 people, remains India’s deadliest, according to Newslaundry.
Bridge inspection and safety practices in India lag significantly behind those of global leaders like Japan, Germany, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and China.
