Bhopal: A major accident was narrowly averted on Monday afternoon when a 100-metre stretch of road near Sukhi Sewania on the outskirts of Bhopal suddenly caved in, leaving behind a 30-foot-deep crater. Fortunately, no vehicles were passing at the time, and no injuries were reported.
According to the reports, The incident took place between 12 noon and 1 pm near the bridge connecting Mandideep to Intkhedi on the Bhopal Eastern Bypass. The road, which comes under the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation (MPRDC), serves as a key link between Indore, Hoshangabad, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Mandla, and Sagar.
Police Action and Traffic Diversion
According to the reports of TOI, soon after the collapse, police and MPRDC officials reached the site and diverted traffic. “We rushed to the spot and barricaded the road. A police contingent was also deployed at the scene,” said Rambabu Chaudhary, Station House Officer (SHO) of Sukhi Sewania police station. He added that the cave-in affected about 50 metres of the road near the Railway Over Bridge (ROB) on the Sukhi Sewania–Kalyanpura stretch.
Officials said a preliminary investigation pointed to the collapse of the Reinforced Earth (RE) retaining wall as the likely cause. “About 100 meters of the road has caved in, leaving a 30-foot-deep crater. We are forming a team to investigate this matter. Preliminary findings suggest the collapse of the RE wall. The cause of the accident will be clear after the investigation report is released,” MPRDC Divisional Manager Sonal Sinha told NDTV.
#WATCH | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh | A major section of the road near Bilkhiriya village collapsed. The road has been barricaded, and traffic has been diverted. (13.10) pic.twitter.com/mVI74tn8If
— ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2025
Bridge Construction and Past Issues
The affected bridge was constructed in 2013 under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model by M/s Transtroy Pvt Ltd. The company’s contract was canceled in 2020 after it failed to meet contractual obligations, leaving the stretch without a dedicated maintenance agency. Since then, the MPRDC has been handling oversight and minor repairs directly.
Officials confirmed that a three-member investigation committee has been constituted to determine the exact cause of the collapse. The panel includes MPRDC Managing Director and Chief Engineer B.S. Meena, General Manager Manoj Gupta, and General Manager R.S. Chandel. “If the investigation report reveals negligence or irregularities, strict action will be taken against those responsible,” an MPRDC spokesperson said.
PWD Minister Rakesh Singh, speaking to TOI from Delhi airport, said he had been informed of the incident and promised a thorough probe. “There will be an investigation, including the technical aspects that possibly contributed to the cave-in, and the guilty won’t be spared. The road will be repaired soon,” he said.
Barricades have been set up along the damaged stretch, and one side of the road has been closed for safety. Repair and soil stabilization work began late Monday evening as authorities continued their investigation.