Woman killed as bridge collapses in Roop Nagar; Delhi govt. forms probe panel

A bridge collapse in Roop Nagar kills a woman; Delhi government forms a probe panel amid rising safety concerns.

A 60-foot-long iron bridge built 33 years ago over a drain in north Delhi’s Roop Nagar collapsed on Tuesday, killing a woman who is yet to be identified.

The Delhi government announced the formation of a three-member panel to probe the incident and tasked it with submitting a report within 48 hours.

A PCR call about the incident was received at 9.28 a.m., following which a team led by the Station House Officer of Roop Nagar rushed to the spot, according to the police.

The Delhi Fire Services and the National Disaster Response Force were deployed for rescue operations. The body of the woman, believed to be around 50 years old, was recovered from the drain, the police said. A case was registered against unknown persons under Section 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Expressing concern over the incident, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said: “This is a very unfortunate incident. Rescue teams acted promptly and all agencies worked in close coordination at the site. Our focus is on ensuring that such incidents are prevented.”

The Minister said the preliminary assessment suggests that the bridge may have collapsed due to structural deterioration. A detailed investigation will be carried out to ascertain the exact cause, he said.