Torrential rainfall battered Assam on Friday, resulting in widespread flooding, infrastructure collapse and outrage from the residents, as a portion of an under-construction bridge in Cachar district crashed into the Jatinga River. The bridge collapse, coupled with severe urban flooding, brought normal life to a standstill across parts of Southern Assam, among which, the Silchar and Sribhumi towns were the worst affected ones. Roads, homes and markets in the towns remained submerged for hours.
Details of bridge collapse
The bridge collapse incident transpired in the Barkhola constituency of Cachar district, where a bridge being built to connect Purandarpur and Badarpur suddenly gave way during heavy downpours on Friday afternoon.
The bridge which collapsed
Local residents said that the central portion of the structure collapsed directly into the Jatinga River, sending shockwaves across the region. The project carried an outlay of close to Rs 10 crore, and its foundation stone was laid in 2024 by Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma. The collapse of the structure has triggered intense criticism over the construction’s quality and project oversight.
The enraged residents alleged that inferior materials and unscientific engineering practices may have caused the disaster. Several locals also questioned how a key public infrastructure project could fail during construction itself and demanded strict accountability.
Silchar, Sribhumi reel under intense waterlogging
Even as the bridge collapse dominated attention, incessant rainfall paralysed routine life in Sribhumi and Silchar, where extensive waterlogging exposed glaring shortcomings in urban drainage systems. Several prominent areas in Silchar, such as the National Highway Point, Shillong Patti, Sonai Road and Radhamadhab Road saw flood-like situations from early Saturday morning onwards.
The situation took a grim turn at the bustling National Highway Point market, which was completely inundated. The rainwater also entered into multiple homes and shops, forcing residents and traders to scramble for safety and salvage belongings. In Sribhumi, non-stop downpours submerged major roads and residential pockets. Areas like Ramani Mohan Road, Ramakrishna Mission Road, PwD Bazaar, Thana Road and DC Bungalow Road reported severe accumulation of water.
Visuals from a flooded area in Assam
Even the area outside a local BJP office was flooded.
One dies due to electrocution
In the thick of the crisis, an unidentified person died from electrocution after coming into contact with the flood waters. Educational institutions across affected areas also reported water ingress, disrupting academic activities and heightened anxiety among commoners.