After Delhi Bridge Collapse Kills Woman, Government Orders Citywide Audit

Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Verma has ordered an immediate investigation into the collapse of a foot overbridge in north Delhi's Roop Nagar on Tuesday morning. 

A three-member committee has been directed to submit its findings within 48 hours to fix responsibility for the incident, which resulted in the death of a woman.

"This is a very unfortunate incident. Rescue teams acted promptly and all agencies worked in close coordination at the site. Our focus is on ensuring that such incidents are prevented in the future," Minister Verma said.

He added that the government has constituted a committee to examine all aspects of the collapse and that accountability will be fixed based on the report.

The steel truss bridge, located near Mother Dairy over the Najafgarh drain, gave way early Tuesday morning. A woman who was on the bridge at the time fell into the drain below. Despite a rapid response from the Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the woman could not be saved after being pulled from the water.

Authorities have since cordoned off the site. The 33-year-old bridge had been inspected in March 2025 and officially declared structurally unsafe. Although it was shut for public use in July 2025, officials confirmed that residents were still accessing the structure.

In response to the tragedy, the Delhi government has directed a comprehensive structural audit of all similar iron foot overbridges across the capital to assess the safety of ageing infrastructure and identify potential risks to prevent similar recurrences.