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Vadodara, July 9: A tragic bridge collapse on Tuesday morning over the Mahisagar river has claimed several lives, raising serious questions about the Gujarat government’s infrastructure oversight and preparedness.

The Gambhira bridge, linking Vadodara and Anand districts, suddenly gave way around 7 a.m., plunging vehicles into the river below. According to eyewitnesses, the bridge span crumbled without warning, sending two trucks, a pick-up van, a car, and multiple motorcycles into the water.

Narendra Mali, a local fisherman who witnessed the collapse, recounted the horrifying moment: “We heard a loud noise and looked up. Vehicles were falling like toys. We immediately rowed towards the scene to rescue people.” Despite rescue efforts by locals and disaster teams, most passengers couldn’t be saved.

Rescue operations led by police and disaster response teams are ongoing. Among the nine deceased, six have been identified so far. The identities of the remaining victims are yet to be confirmed.

A Disaster Long in the Making

Built in 1985, the Gambhira bridge was over four decades old and in a visibly dilapidated state. Locals had repeatedly warned that the bridge shook under the weight of vehicles, yet it remained open to traffic. A proposal for constructing a new bridge was already approved by the government following a recommendation by local BJP MLA Chaitanyasinh Zala, but no urgent steps were taken to close the old one.

The tragic incident has sparked outrage, with residents and opposition leaders asking why traffic was not stopped until the new structure was completed. “This was a preventable tragedy,” said a former municipal engineer who had inspected the area earlier this year.

Political Reactions and Compensation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow, calling the loss of lives “deeply saddening.” He announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of each deceased victim and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also expressed condolences and pledged Rs 4 lakh for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured, along with free medical treatment. “We stand with the families in this time of grief,” he said.

Vadodara Collector Anil Dhamelia confirmed that rescue remains the top priority. “We’re focused on saving lives and recovering vehicles. Traffic has been diverted,” he stated.

Opposition Slams ‘Gujarat Model’

The Opposition Congress Party has hit out at the state government, calling the incident a “symbol of infrastructure failure under the so-called Gujarat Model.” Senior Congress leader Amit Chavda said, “We raised this issue multiple times. The bridge was unsafe, but no action was taken. This negligence has cost lives.”

Congress alleged deep-rooted corruption in infrastructure planning and execution, claiming that many such aging bridges across Gujarat have been left unattended.

Voices from the Ground

For the locals near the Mahisagar, the collapse has left not just trauma but a bitter question: how many lives must be lost before crumbling infrastructure is taken seriously?

As rescue teams continue searching for survivors and victims, the state now faces tough scrutiny — and grieving families demand accountability.

Mangaluru, July 8: In a deeply alarming incident that has once again drawn attention to the rising number of heart attacks among young people, an 18-year-old engineering diploma student collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack near Surathkal on the outskirts of the city on Monday, July 7.

The deceased, Aftab, son of Asgar Ali, was a resident of Krishnapura Hillside and a student pursuing a diploma in electrical engineering at a local institute. The incident occurred around 12 noon while Aftab was walking home to take a bath. He suddenly collapsed near his house and could not be revived. Initial reports indicate the cause as a heart attack.

Aftab was the only son in a family of four children. His mother had passed away during the Covid pandemic, and he had been living with his father since then. His three sisters are married. On the day of the incident, his father, Asgar Ali, an auto-rickshaw driver, had been home with him until 1 pm, shortly before leaving for work. The tragedy struck soon after.

The sudden death of an apparently healthy teenager has shocked the community and reignited growing concerns about the increasing incidence of heart attacks among youth in India. Once considered a condition of the middle-aged and elderly, cardiac arrest is now increasingly being reported in individuals in their teens and twenties, often without any prior symptoms.

Health experts have been raising red flags over the past few years, linking early heart complications in youth to factors such as sedentary lifestyle, dietary habits, chronic stress, undiagnosed conditions, and post-Covid aftereffects.

Aftab's untimely passing is a tragic reminder of how vital it is to monitor cardiac health regardless of age, and raises urgent questions about awareness, early screening, and preventive measures in young populations.

Bengaluru has cemented its status as one of the world’s top 10 technology talent hubs, standing shoulder to shoulder with global giants like Beijing and Tokyo, according to Colliers’ latest report, "Global Tech Markets: Top Talent Locations 2025."

The report analyzed over 200 cities worldwide on key indicators such as talent acquisition, venture capital (VC) funding, labor quality, talent pipeline, and sectoral composition. The findings reveal a dominant presence of Indian and Chinese cities in the global tech talent landscape — with India shining particularly bright.

India’s top six cities have secured positions among the top 10 in the Asia-Pacific region for tech talent acquisition, reflecting the country’s vast skilled workforce and thriving innovation ecosystem. Bengaluru and Hyderabad continue to lead the pack, offering a strong combination of deep talent pools, advanced IT infrastructure, and cost-effective operations — a combination highly attractive to global tech firms.

“India is a powerhouse of tech talent and a key player in the global innovation ecosystem,” said Arpit Mehrotra, Managing Director, Office Services, India, Colliers. “Bengaluru and Hyderabad alone accounted for nearly half of the conventional office space leasing in H1 2025.”

During the first half of 2025, tech companies leased over 10 million sq. ft. of office space across India’s top seven cities, representing 40% of total demand for conventional office spaces. In flexible workspaces too, tech occupiers made up nearly 50% of leasing activity.

This surge is backed by India’s competitive advantages — from a large base of young, highly skilled professionals to an ever-expanding startup ecosystem. The report highlights a key trend: tech workforces are getting younger. Between 2014 and 2022, workers under 25 in the tech sector grew by 9%, a rate more than 20 times higher than the all-industry average. This demographic shift is fueling interest in cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Jakarta.

Globally, demand is also surging for specialized roles like AI experts, data scientists, and cybersecurity professionals, as traditional IT job postings decline. Bengaluru's deep talent pool in these emerging areas is further reinforcing its appeal to international employers.

With high-quality office infrastructure, a robust digital backbone, and unmatched talent scalability, India’s tech cities are not just competing globally — they’re leading the way.