Stability check of new Kali river bridge ordered after old structure connecting connecting Karwar and Goa collapses

Panaji: Authorities in neighbouring Karnataka on Wednesday ordered the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to check stability of the new Kali river bridge after an old bridge on the water body collapsed.

The old bridge on the river collapsed at around 1.30 am on Wednesday, resulted in heavy traffic on national highway no. 66 connecting Goa to Karnataka, officials said.

A truck crossing the bridge at the time fell into the river. Local fishermen later rescued its driver, a police official from Karwar in Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka told PTI.

The old bridge which collapsed was used for Goa-bound traffic after the construction of a new one a decade back, the official said.

Uttar Kannada District Magistrate Lakshmi Priya K said it has been brought to the notice that the old Kali river bridge connecting Karwar and Sadashivgad collapsed at 1.30 am on Wednesday.

She ordered the NHAI officials concerned to verify and report stability of the new Kali river bridge connecting Karwar and Sadashivgad.

A stability report must be submitted by 12 noon on Wednesday, she said.

Traffic on the new bridge was stopped for some time in the wee hours of Wednesday following the incident. Later, vehicles, except heavy ones, were allowed to pass through, the Karwar police said.

Traffic movement on the new bridge was restricted as the Karnataka authorities were checking its stability after the collapse of the old bridge, Goa's Canacona police station in-charge Harish Raut Desai said.

The Goa police were coordinating with their counterparts in Karwar to monitor the situation on the highway, he said.