"NDRF Battles Toxic River: 15 Dead in Gujarat Bridge Collapse [LIVE UPDATES]"

 Gujarat Bridge Collapse: 15 Dead, 4 Missing as NDRF Battles Raging River

Live Updates: Rescue teams fight sludge and currents amid environmental threats

(Last updated: July 10, 2025 | 14:45 IST)

🔴 LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

14:30 IST: Death toll rises to 15 as divers recover two more bodies 3km downstream. Four people remain missing, including a mother and child last seen in a submerged auto-rickshaw .
13:15 IST: NDRF halts operations briefly after chemical tanker leak detected. Hazardous materials team en route .
11:00 IST: Temporary access bridge completed; heavy machinery deployed to extract vehicles from sludge .

⚠️ RESCUE CHALLENGES

1. Raging Currents: Mahisagar River flowing at 9 km/h (twice normal speed) due to rains, pushing debris downstream .

2. Sludge Traps: Thick mud has immobilized 3 vehicles, including a 5-ton solvent tanker. Divers report near-zero visibility .

3. Chemical Threat: Tanker carrying ethyl acetate (industrial solvent) shows signs of leakage. Downstream villages alerted .

🎤 SURVIVOR STORIES

Dilipsinh Padhiyar, 34, with rescue fishermen]

*"I heard an explosion-like crack – then my motorcycle plunged. I clung to a bridge rod for 20 minutes while the river swallowed cars. These fishermen saved me with ropes."*

Reshma Parmar, 28, recovering at SSG Hospital]

"We were taking my newborn home when our car flipped headfirst into water. I kicked the window open but couldn’t save my aunt..."

🏆 Local Heroes:

• Jairaj Singh (farmer) mobilized 40 villagers to form human chains, pulling 7 people to safety .

• Fishermen collective used nets to catch survivors swept 1.5km downstream .

🆘 CRITICAL NEEDS

Priority	Status
Missing Persons	4 unaccounted for; last seen near collapsed section
Hospitals	SSG Vadodara: 5 injured stable; blood shortage (O-)
Environmental	Solvent leak threatening Mahisagar ecosystem; containment booms deployed

📞 RESOURCES

1. Missing Persons Hotline: +91-265-2434188 (Vadodara Control Room)

2. Donation Links:

• Gujarat CM Relief Fund

• Blood donation camps: Ramnarayan Ruia Hospital (Vadodara)

3. Real-Time Tracker: GSDRF Rescue Dashboard

⏳ KEY TIMELINE

• 21:32 IST (July 9): 15m section of Gambhira bridge collapses during rush hour.

• 22:15 IST: NDRF teams arrive; 7 survivors pulled from water.

• 06:00 IST (July 10): Death toll reaches 13; chemical tanker detected.

• 14:30 IST: Operations expanded to 5km river stretch.

⚠️ ENVIRONMENTAL ALERT

Ethyl acetate exposure risks:

• ❗ Water contamination: 12 villages downstream advised to avoid river water.

• ❗ Wildlife threat: Endangered gharials nesting 8km away.

• ❗ Farm impact: Cotton/paddy fields reliant on Mahisagar canals .