Bridge Collapses in Kullu, Cement Truck Falls into River; NH-305 Shut Down

Kullu (The Uttam Hindu): Traffic in the area has come to a complete halt due to the complete damage of Mangalore bridge on National Highway-305 in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. In this accident that took place on Saturday morning, a truck loaded with cement passing through the bridge fell into the river. Fortunately, the driver of the truck survived safely. After this accident, the movement of vehicles on the Ot-Banjar road has been stopped for the time being, due to which many tourists and locals are stranded in the middle of the tourist season.

According to the information, the structure of the Mangalore bridge was already weak and it had become more dilapidated due to the continuous movement of heavy vehicles. On Saturday morning, when a truck loaded with cement was passing through the bridge, a part of the bridge suddenly collapsed, due to which the truck lost balance and fell into the river.

Eyewitnesses said that the accident was so horrific that people nearby panicked. Local people and police immediately started rescue work and pulled the driver out safely. The driver has suffered minor injuries, but his condition is said to be stable. Due to the collapse of the bridge, traffic on National Highway-305 was completely closed. This route connects Kullu to areas like Banjar, Ani and Nirmand and its importance increases further during the tourist season.

At present, there is a long jam on the road due to the huge crowd of tourists. Many tourist vehicles are stuck, causing great inconvenience to the passengers. The local administration has started trying to arrange alternative routes, but no concrete solution has been found at the moment.

The Kullu administration has taken immediate steps to control the situation. National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officials have been informed. A team of experts will soon reach the spot to repair the bridge and restore traffic. At the same time, people were appealed to avoid traveling on this route and follow the guidelines of the administration.