GUWAHATI: A railway bridge over the Simen River in Assam’s Dhemaji district partially collapsed following heavy rainfall and severe riverbank erosion, a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official said on Sunday.According to an official statement issued by the Northeast Frontier Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), train operations between Archipathar and Simen Chapari stations have been suspended after more than 110 mm of rainfall in and around Dhemaji district triggered flooding and erosion that affected the railway bridge, according to news agency ANI.The bridge, originally constructed in 1965 and later converted to broad gauge, was reported to be in safe condition. However, continuous heavy rainfall washed away a significant portion of the riverbank, causing one of the bridge’s piers to become unstable.Railway authorities confirmed that no trains were damaged and no injuries were reported. The affected route is a low-traffic branch line, and train movements had already been halted due to flooding before the collapse occurred.Train services between Murkongselek and Silapathar under the Tinsukia division will remain suspended until further notice.In the meantime, trains on the route will be short-terminated and short-originated from Silapathar. The railway has also initiated arrangements for bus services to transport willing passengers between Murkongselek and Silapathar.Help desks have been opened at Dhemaji, Silapathar and Murkongselek stations to assist passengers.The situation is being closely monitored by Northeast Frontier Railway authorities in coordination with district and state government officials.Meanwhile, a separate incident was reported in the region after a 300-metre-long iron bridge connecting Kemi and Oyan was washed away by floodwaters in the Kemi River, cutting off connectivity between the Kemi-Purana Jelom area and Jonai Sadar.According to news agency ANI, a local resident said the water flow intensified rapidly around midday.“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. 30am, and the Kemi River is now overflowing,” the resident said.The resident expressed frustration over the construction of the bridge, claiming that locals had opposed the use of an iron structure due to the river’s strong currents.“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,” the local added.The bridge collapse has also raised concerns over access to education in the area, as students from Kemi rely on crossing the river to attend the region’s only school.“This is causing significant problems; there is only one school in our area, and all the students from Kemi come here to study. To reach the school, they have to cross this river somehow. I’ve also heard that their exams are coming up soon, so the students are going to face great difficulty, as the water level will likely remain high for at least a day or two. Furthermore, it is currently the farming season, and farmers who rely on crossing the river to reach their fields will face serious challenges,” the resident further explained.
