Assam floods: Railway bridge partially collapses in Dhemaji; iron bridge washed away in Jonai | India News
NEW DELHI: A railway bridge over the Simen River in Assam’s Dhemaji district partially collapsed due to heavy rainfall and severe riverbank erosion, prompting the suspension of train services on the route, officials of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said on Sunday.According to an official statement issued by the NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), more than 110 mm of rainfall was recorded in and around Dhemaji district, leading to flooding and erosion that affected the railway bridge between Archipathar and Simen Chapari stations.The bridge, originally constructed in 1965 and later converted to broad gauge, had been in a safe and operational condition. However, heavy rains washed away a large portion of the riverbank, destabilising one of the bridge’s piers, officials told ANI.Railway authorities said there was no damage to any train and no injuries were reported as train movement on the low-traffic branch line had already been suspended due to flooding. Train services between Murkongselek and Silapathar under the Tinsukia division will remain suspended until further notice.For the time being, trains on the route will originate from and terminate at Silapathar station. The Northeast Frontier Railway said arrangements were being made to operate buses for passengers willing to travel between Murkongselek and Silapathar.Help desks have also been set up at Dhemaji, Silapathar and Murkongselek stations to assist passengers. “The situation is being monitored closely by NF Railway authorities in collaboration with district and state government authorities,” the railway statement said.Another bridge washed away in JonaiIn a separate incident, a 300-metre-long iron bridge over the Kemi River connecting Kemi and Oyan areas in Jonai was washed away by floodwaters, completely disrupting connectivity between the Kemi-Purana Jelom area and Jonai Sadar.Speaking to ANI, a local resident said water levels in the river rose rapidly after heavy inflows from neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.“Today, the floodwaters swept away the iron bridge in our village. Heavy water flow has been coming down from Arunachal Pradesh since 11:00 am. We hadn’t expected the bridge to be washed away, but the water level rose suddenly around 11:30 AM, and the Kemi River is now overflowing,” the resident said.“It had been built around a year ago. At the time of construction, we had requested that they not build an iron bridge because the Kemi River flows with a very strong, swift current. We had demanded a permanent, concrete bridge instead, but I don’t know what their intentions were. They installed a basic iron bridge,” he added.The collapse of the bridge has also raised concerns about access to education and agricultural activities in the area. Authorities are monitoring the flood situation across the region as heavy rainfall continues to affect several parts of Assam.
