New Delhi, March 17 An old, rusty bridge in the Roop Nagar area of north Delhi was never just a crossing; it was a crucial shortcut that saved time and effort for hundreds of locals who continued to use it despite its unsafe status and signs of decay.
On Tuesday morning, a portion of the bridge connecting Roop Nagar and Gur Mandi collapsed around 9:15 am, killing a woman believed to be around 50 years old. Police said she was near one end of the structure when it gave way and fell into the drain.
Officials had declared the bridge structurally unsafe and closed it in July last year after an inspection found severe deterioration. Barriers were set up, chains were tied, and even a wall was constructed at one point to block access.
However, residents on both sides said these measures were rarely effective.
A junior engineer at the site said the wall was demolished the very next day, while police barriers were routinely crossed. "People would jump over and continue using it," he said.
The reason, residents say, was simple – the bridge cut down a nearly two-kilometer detour and remained the most direct link between the two areas.
On one side lay Roop Nagar's residential blocks; on the other, Gur Mandi and nearby colonies. Domestic workers, drivers, and vendors crossed it daily for work, while residents from Roop Nagar relied on the market, dairy, and services on the opposite side.
"All the domestic workers and students use this route," a resident said, pointing out that a weekly market and a dairy across the drain see regular foot traffic from women and families.
Students were among the most frequent users. At least seven schools are nearby, and children used the bridge during peak morning and afternoon hours.
"A portion of it had begun to sink and tilt to one side, especially from the direction where the water flows, making it uneven," Zoya, an 8th-grade student who used to cross the structure every morning, said.
Students recalled how the bridge would shake under their feet. "It used to wobble when we stood on it," some said, adding they walked cautiously, often avoiding the railing because its mesh was torn. At peak hours, they said, only two or three children could squeeze through from one end.
Local residents across the resident welfare associations (RWA) said complaints about the bridge's condition had been raised repeatedly. However, it was never fully closed.
Dheeraj Goyal, a shopkeeper who has worked in the area for years, said the bridge is old and had visible cracks long before the collapse. He said even the side walls had been damaged earlier, and the base had weakened over time.
"The main issue was that the ground on this side (Roop Nagar) had started cracking. This is the exact side from where the bridge has now collapsed," he said.
According to him, while some repair work was attempted in the past, it was not enough. He added that after partial closure, a narrow passage was left open for pedestrians.
Residents also pointed to conflicting interests that delayed stronger action. Some opposed complete closure as it disrupted daily movement. Others, meanwhile, supported total barricading as they believed curbing the movement of outsiders in Roop Nagar -- coming from the less-affluent Gur Mandi area -- would decrease the incidence of theft.
Mayank Saxena, the general secretary of the 3rd Block RWA in Roop Nagar, said a meeting was held around six months ago with the local MLA and officials, where residents were informed that the bridge had outlived its lifespan and could collapse at any time.
He further said the RWA faced resistance even from residents. "We had arguments within our own association. People complained that their domestic help could not reach because the bridge was closed. But all this was done for their safety," Saxena said.
Eyewitnesses said the timing of the collapse narrowly avoided a larger tragedy. "If this had happened during peak school rush, it could have been much worse. Hundreds of children pass through here," one of them said.
Following the incident, teams from the Delhi Fire Service, police, and disaster response forces carried out rescue operations and cordoned off the area.
The Delhi government has ordered an inquiry into the collapse and asked for a report within 48 hours. A broader safety audit of similar foot overbridges has also been directed.
In addition, the irrigation and flood control minister has also ordered a safety audit of all similar foot overbridges across the city to assess their safety.