Congress demands probe into Uttarakhand bridge collapse

Opposition Congress has demanded an independent inquiry into the collapse of a bridge on the Jakhan river along the Dehradun-Rishikesh highway that left five people dead on Friday.

Former chief minister Harish Rawat, who visited the collapse site on Sunday, blamed “rampant mining near the bridge” for the collapse while seeking the inquiry.

The bridge was built in 1964. On Friday, over 20-metre stretch of the bridge collapsed amid a heavy flow of water in the river due to incessant rain.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is trying to make inroads into the poll-bound state, on Wednesday staged a protest near public works department minister Satpal Maharaj’s office demanding his resignation over the collapse.