Karwar: An old bridge over the Kali River on National Highway 66 at Kodi Bagh in Karwar, which connects Karwar and Sadashivgarh, collapsed suddenly around 1 a.m. between Tuesday and Wednesday. This collapse has severed the connection between Sadashivgarh and Karwar on the National Highway, causing traffic jams on both sides.

The bridge, built approximately 39 years ago by a private contractor company, connected Uttara Kannada (Karnataka) and Goa. An empty truck from Tamil Nadu, en route from Goa to Hubli after unloading coal, fell into the river following the collapse. The driver, Bal Morgan, escaped by breaking the front glass of the cabin, climbed onto the cabin's roof, and called for help. A passing patrolling police team alerted their officers upon witnessing the scene. Fire services, Coastal Security Police, and local fishermen subsequently rescued Morgan and transported him to the hospital for treatment.

In response to the collapse, a search operation was conducted by the NDRF, SDRF, Coastal Police, and local fishermen to ensure no other vehicles or individuals had fallen into or drowned in the river.

The investigation revealed that the front part of the bridge gave way while the truck was crossing, followed by two additional breaks in the bridge structure. Karwar and Chittakol police are maintaining constant surveillance at the site.

Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner Lakshmi Priya, SP M. Narayan, Additional Superintendent of Police Jayakumar, and DySP Girish visited the accident site to assess the situation.

Deputy Commissioner Lakshmi Priya has instructed the National Highway Authority and the Road Transport Department to urgently provide a stability and strength certificate for the new bridge constructed over the river to resume traffic.

A case has been registered against the National Highway Authority and the contractor company IRB at the Karwar City Police Station following the bridge collapse.