A video circulating online showed a section of the newly inaugurated floating bridge in Visakhapatnam, India, detached from the main structure, sparking concerns about its structural integrity. However, the Andhra Pradesh government has clarified that the detachment was intentional and part of a planned mock drill.
Officials inaugurated the bridge with much fanfare on February 25th at the city's popular RK Beach. However, within 24 hours, visuals of the detached section went viral, causing confusion and raising questions about the bridge's safety.
The Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) issued a statement on Monday clarifying that the detached section was the bridge's "T-shaped viewing point." This detachment, they explained, was a precautionary measure to assess the bridge's stability during strong currents.
The VMRDA statement emphasized that they carried out the detachment as part of a mock drill, a standard technical procedure. They also assured the public that the bridge itself remains intact and will continue to undergo similar tests in the future.
Due to changes in weather and strong currents, the government postponed opening the bridge to tourists on Monday. The incident also sparked political mudslinging, with the opposition TDP party accusing the ruling YSRCP government of mismanagement. However, Industries Minister G. Amarnath countered these accusations, calling them "fake propaganda."
Just a day after inauguration, portion of at , detached, today. MP YV Subba Reddy and minister Gudivada Amarnath inaugurated yesterday
There are apprehensions that floating bridge is not favourable at RK Beach, due to pic.twitter.com/0Q4zPYXzBQ
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